Huge Man Utd lift as Real Madrid drop out of races to sign treasured Ten Hag star and World Cup forward

Manchester United have been given a major boost amid claims Real Madrid will no longer pursue a Red Devils star and one of Erik ten Hag’s biggest transfer targets.

Real Madrid are in a good position to emulate their success from last season, when they won the Champions League, La Liga and Spanish super cup. Los Blancos sit second in La Liga this time around, just two points behind rivals Barcelona. And they will come up against Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 after finishing top of Group F.

Real appear to be at the peak of their powers, boasting huge talents like Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior, Thibaut Courtois and Federico Valverde.

Man Utd, in contrast, occupy fifth place in the Premier League and will play Barca in a Europa League knockout round play-off in February. But manager Ten Hag has big plans to take Man Utd back to their former glory, which could see them rival Real on the biggest stage.

Unfortunately for the Dutchman, he has been in competition with Carlo Ancelotti’s side for transfers recently.

Both Man Utd and Real hold an interest in PSV’s Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo. The 23-year-old has been in great form for PSV this season and is already on three goals at the Qatar World Cup.

To make matters worse, Real have set their sights on two Man Utd players for future signings. Their scouts like the look of centre-back Lisandro Martinez, who has been brilliant in defence for Man Utd since joining from Ajax in July.

Real have also been linked with a swoop for another of Ten Hag’s favourite players, young winger Alejandro Garnacho.

Man Utd teenager’s form alerts Real Madrid

The teenage attacker has burst onto the scene this campaign. He has registered two goals and two assists in eight senior appearances for Man Utd.

There was initially concern about Garnacho’s attitude. But the Argentine has turned things around and is now seen as a ‘decisive’ player for Ten Hag.

Garnacho’s profile ‘resonates’ with Real, according to a recent report from Spanish outlet Relevo. And they state the youngster is very attached to Madrid, given the fact he was born there.

Luckily for Man Utd, there has now been a welcome lift from Spanish newspaper Marca. They reveal the La Liga giants will not be making any moves during the January transfer window. They could lose two or three players but still won’t be signing anyone.

The only deal they will be focused on is securing the arrival of Brazilian striker Endrick. However, due to him only being 16 years old, he will not be able to officially join until 2024.

Real Madrid turn away from Gakpo opportunity

Real officials are all in agreement about this being the best approach for the club. As such, they will not be making any moves for Gakpo, Garnacho or Martinez in the winter market.

Arguably the best outcome for Man Utd is that they will not have to fend off a Real offer for Gakpo. After all, there was little chance they were ever going to sell Garnacho or Martinez in January, no matter how much Real put on the table.

The crucial update means Man Utd are now in the driving seat to sign Gakpo. And he has already revealed how much he would like to play for them. This means sorting a contract should be fairly straightforward.

Many pundits and fans think Gakpo would be the perfect attacking solution for Ten Hag and Man Utd. They are in need of a striker and Gakpo has all the attributes to turn himself into a deadly centre-forward.

Plus, his exploits at the World Cup show he has the mentality to shine on the biggest stage.

However, Man Utd have been warned that Gakpo could surprisingly emulate their worst summer signing.