Man Utd face looming deadline in bid to complete free agent signing in response to Antony situation

Manchester United are being linked with a post-transfer window signing, but how long do they have to pull off a deal?

The Red Devils face a possible crisis out wide amid uncertainty surrounding the futures of Jadon Sancho and Antony. Sancho was called out by Erik ten Hag over his training effor last week, and he responded on social media, claiming that what his manager has said was not accurate.

There are now big question marks over whether Sancho will continue his career at United, and the problems don’t end there.

Antony is facing domestic abuse allegations, and he has been removed from the club’s squad indefinitely. Over the weekend, United issued a statement which stated "it has been agreed with Antony that he will delay his return until further notice in order to address the allegations."

All that means Ten Hag now faces a big shortage out wide, with two £70million or so wingers sidelined for the time being.

As a result, the Daily Mail are claiming that United are considering signing former Ajax and Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi on a free transfer. El Ghazi was released by PSV Eindhoven last week after he agreed to cancel his contract in a bid to find a new club.

Premier League clubs are still able to complete free transfers after the transfer window, but there is a deadline United will need to meet to make the signing worthwhile. That’s because any player who is not registered in the club’s Premier League squad cannot play in the Premier League until the January transfer window opens.

Crucially, the deadline for clubs to submit their Premier League squads is at 2pm on Wednesday, September 13. That means a deal needs to be agreed and approved before that point, and El Ghazi would need to be included in the squad before it becomes final on Wednesday afternoon. El Ghazi was said to be earning a salary of around £28,000-per-week at PSV, so it could be a relatively risk-free deal for United should those figures prove accurate.