Manchester United are now considering moving away from a £10m-a-year target and going after an “underrated” player instead due to wage demands, according to a recent report.
The Red Devils look set to announce Ruben Amorim as their new head coach, and the Portuguese will be keen to hit the ground running when he arrives during November’s international break, which was agreed between the two clubs when his release clause was met.
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Amorim needs to address Man Utd left-back problem
Amorim’s short-term goal at Old Trafford is to get going in the best way, and that is by winning football matches. But one of his long-term goals must be addressing the left-back problem at the club.
United spent the majority of last season and all of this season so far without a recognised left-back, as Luke Shaw continues to be on the sidelines with a calf injury, on which he has suffered a setback this week, and Tyrell Malacia continues his recovery from a long-term injury. INEOS decided not to sign a left-back during the summer, a decision that has been described as “unbelievable” by pundit/fan Mark Goldbridge.
The Premier League side are clearly looking at all their options, as Julio Soler emerged on their radar last week as an option to replace Shaw. Meanwhile, Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri is also being looked at by United, and there are two other names under consideration at Old Trafford in what looks sure to be the priority position they choose to address in 2025.
£10m-a-year wage demands too much for Alphonso Davies
According to Caught Offside, Manchester United remain keen on Alphonso Davies but are also interested in signing Ben Chilwell from Chelsea. The report states that it remains to be seen if a deal for Davies can be justified by INEOS due to his demands, as he looks for around 12 million euros a year, which is roughly £10 million, the same wages that Antony is on at Old Trafford.
Davies is in the final year of his contract at Bayern Munich and has interest from United, as well as Real Madrid and Barcelona. His future with the German side remains up in the air, but given his demands, a move to Old Trafford may not happen, and therefore, United are also interested in signing Chilwell.
The Chelsea defender, who has been called “underrated” by Youtuber and podcaster Laurenz Vescoli, is seen as a more realistic and affordable option for the Red Devils. However, the Englishman has also had injury problems while at Stamford Bridge, and that could potentially put United off any deal.
Davies could still be seen as a viable option for United, but it is likely that players will have to be sold and moved off the wage bill before the left-back can come to the club. Unlike Davies, Chilwell still has two and a bit years left to run on his contract, so United will have to pay a transfer fee to get him out of Stamford Bridge.
