Manchester United
Premier League • England
Tetchy Ten Hag orders high risk Atletico signing to give Man Utd ‘one of the best footballers on the planet’
Erik ten Hag remains ‘unsatisfied’ with one department of his Manchester United squad, and a stunning report claims €40m could be enough to unlock a risky Atletico Madrid signing.
Man Utd produced a remarkable late comeback to snatch all three points against Brentford on Saturday. However, Scott McTominay’s heroics have only served to paper over the cracks.
United’s have struggled mightily at the back so far this term, conceding 19 goals in 11 matches across all competitions.
Andre Onana is making errors on an almost weekly basis, while the defenders and holding midfielders in front of him aren’t providing adequate protection.
The centre-half position is once again coming under the microscope with injuries and poor form combining to give Ten Hag another headache.
Lisandro Martinez could be sidelined for up to three months after undergoing surgery to repair a metatarsal injury. Raphael Varane is never too far away from his next spell on the treatment table.
Victor Lindelof has entered the final year of his contract, albeit the club do hold an option for an extra 12 months.
Harry Maguire looks to have earned a stay of execution for the winter window after impressing Ten Hag with his dedication and professionalism. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old could still be moved on at season’s end.
Elsewhere, Jonny Evans is only a stop-gap solution aged 35.
As such, a stunning report out of Spain (as cited by Sports Mole) brings news of Man Utd sizing up Atletico Madrid’s Jose Maria Gimenez.
Ten Hag wants Gimenez, but deal not without risk
The Uruguay international, 28, is among the world’s leading centre-halves when fit. However, Gimenez has regularly struggled with injury and has never made more than 28 LaLiga appearances in a single season.
A move would thus be a high risk/high reward affair for Man Utd and is also complicated by the fact Gimenez only just signed a new contract with Atletico on Friday.
Atletico’s bargaining position is now stronger given the centre-back is under contract until 2028. Nonetheless, the report claims a bid of just €40m (approx. £34.6m) could be enough to seal a deal.
That figure is lower than you might expect for a player of Gimenez’s calibre. Indeed, the report describes the defender as ‘one of the best footballers on the planet in his role’. However, the reduced sum reflects his frequent struggles with injury.
It’s claimed Atletico could consider a sale at the €40m mark for a player who is ‘completely in the Ten Hag’s favour, despite his medical history.’
EURO PAPER TALK: Man Utd interrupt top midfielder’s renewal talks by preparing better offer; West Ham find successor to star who’s only just signed