£100m star, 2 England internationals and an ex-Chelsea man: Man Utd's 6-man midfielder transfer shortlist
Man United are looking to sign a midfielder in the January transfer window, and have drawn up a six-man shortlist.
Manchester United will be looking ahead to the January transfer window, hoping to make some moves after they have already spent £170m on new players this season. The defensive midfield position remains a priority for improvement in January, with the likes of Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, and Kobbie Mainoo struggling for consistent form.
Furthermore, Kobbie Mainoo has requested a loan move away, and Casemiro’s contract is nearing its end, meaning that Ruben Amorim will need a new long-term option for the position.
United were interested in signing a midfielder in the summer window, but they failed to add one and decided to prioritise other positions, so now they find themselves looking for a new holding midfielder.
Man United’s 6-man shortlist
Amid all the reports linking Man United to a new midfielder, the Red Devils have reportedly put together a shortlist of potential targets both for the January window and for the next summer transfer window.
According to the Mirror, Man United remain very keen on Brighton’s Carlos Baleba for a start. They were linked with him in the summer, but the Seagulls placed a £100m plus price tag on him, making it virtually impossible for United to get a deal done.
Furthermore, Crystal Palace, Adam Wharton and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson are also key targets for United heading into January. Both players are expected to cost over £60m, and both are 22-year-old England internationals in demand. Wharton has also been linked with Liverpool, whereas Anderson has been linked with Man City and a return to Newcastle.
In terms of other Premier League options, Chelsea’s Andrey Santos has emerged as a surprise target. United were reportedly interested in including him as part of Garnacho’s sale to the Blues.
From one Chelsea player to a former Chelsea player, Conor Gallagher is also a target. The Atletico Madrid star is willing to move, but Man United only want him on loan, and Atletico want a permanent sale. Finally, Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller is also a target for January. The German international is gaining interest, and he’s expected to cost around £50m.
Which midfielder could Man United sign in January?
The issue that United have is that most of these midfielders likely won’t be available in January as clubs won’t want to sell their best players. For example, Anderson and Wharton will be tricky deals to get over the line as Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest are both in European competitions, so they won’t want to let those players leave.
Furthermore, Gallagher could be an issue due to United and Atletico wanting different types of deals for him. However, if United change their stance and want to sign him permanently, it could be more doable in January due to Gallagher’s reduced role at the club.
Baleba wants to join Man United, but the transfer fee is the big issue. It is rare to see a team spend over £100m in January, and so that makes his deal fairly unlikely too. The only possibility would be if he requests a move, and United make sales to fund a deal.
Stiller looks the most likely in January as is has been said that Stuttgart could be willing to let him leave for the right price, but his cost won’t be as sky high as say Baleba.