Manchester United
Premier League • England
‘Audacious’ Man Utd move goes up in flames as trusted source reveals true Ten Hag plans
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
Manchester United will not be submitting a contract offer to sign free agent and former Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi, as a report from the Daily Mail has been shut down by several sources.
On Monday night, it surprisingly emerged that Man Utd were considering a bid to sign El Ghazi, who is available on a free transfer following the mutual termination of his contract with PSV. The transfer link came amid Erik ten Hag’s problems in wide areas. The manager has had a public spat with Jadon Sancho, while Antony has agreed a period of absence while he addresses accusations of assault from a former girlfriend.
The Daily Mail suggested Man Utd to be ‘weighing up’ an approach for El Ghazi, who has represented clubs such as Villa, Everton and Ajax so far in his career.
The move would be a shock given the fact El Ghazi is generally considered not at the right level to shine for Man Utd.
The Athletic’s Man Utd reporter, Laurie Whitwell, has now moved to shut down the rumour. Writing on Twitter, he reveals that it was El Ghazi’s agents who contacted Man Utd, not the other way round.
As such, there is no interest on Man Utd’s end and the 28-year-old will certainly not be moving to Old Trafford this year.
The Daily Express have also weighed in on the situation, labelling the contact from El Ghazi’s representatives as ‘audacious’. They clearly saw the turmoil going on in Ten Hag’s squad and tried to get as big of a move for their client as possible.
Whitwell goes on to explain how Ten Hag will fill the right wing position while Antony and Sancho are not selected. He states that either Alejandro Garnacho or Facundo Pellistri could come into the starting lineup for Man Utd’s first game back after the international break. Pellistri was linked with a loan switch to Sheffield United in the summer, but now Man Utd will be glad they ended those discussions.
Ten Hag may also decide to use Bruno Fernandes or Mason Mount on the right flank, even though they are generally considered to be central attacking midfielders.