Moves remain to be made in the transfer window but Manchester United are continuing their mission for reinforcements across the park.
United are keen on bolstering their attacking ranks this summer with manager Erik ten Hag keen to ease the goalscoring burden placed on Rasmus Hojlund.The pursuit of forward Joshua Zirkzee remains ongoing, with the Bologna star at the top of their transfer shortlist. It was previously claimed that United were considering activating a £34m release clause written into his contract.
United have a net transfer budget of just £50million though, and Ten Hag also wants to strengthen in defence and midfield before the start of the new season.
Below the Mirror runs through the latest transfer news.
Morata interest
In need of fire power up top, United have reportedly held talks with the agent of Alvaro Morata over a potential summer transfer.Madrid forward, who is available for just €12m (£10.1m) due to a release clause in his contract.
AS Roma, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Fenerbahce are the other clubs credited with an interest in Morata.
Zirkzee boost
United’s pursuit of Zirkzee was handed a major boost after with AC Milan looking at a Newcastle -linked alternative.
United are in talks with Zirkzee’s representatives after making it clear they are prepared to meet the Bologna forward’s £33.8m (€40m) release clause.
There is still plenty of work to be done before a deal can be concluded, with Premier League rivals Arsenal also reportedly interested.
However, the playing field has thinned with AC Milan now showing an interest in Everton ’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The striker was linked with a move to Newcastle United but the move has reportedly been called off. Should Milan move for him, that could see them abandon their swoop for Zirkzee, leaving Man United in the box seat.
Antony trouble
Antony’s inflated price tag has made executing transfer business this summer even more difficult for United, according to ex-United player Dwight Yorke.The Brazilian winger was signed for an eye-watering £82million but has struggled to live up to the hype, providing just 16 goal contributions in 82 appearances.
And Yorke believes the money United forked out for Antony set a poor precedent and sabotaged their pursuit of Michael Olise.
“Manchester United should have wrapped up signing Michael Olise already, you can see the boy is a class act and would blossom at the club,” Yorke told Crypto Sports Betting.
“Nowadays, that kind of player will be worth easily at least £50m, but if Manchester United are signing Antony for £85m, they will probably pay upwards of £100m for Olise. Manchester United can’t complain about what Palace value Olise at if they’re seeing how much money was spent on the likes of Antony.” Manchester United are actively looking to reinforce their squad across multiple positions during the current transfer window. Here’s a summary of their latest transfer news:
1. **Attacking Reinforcements**: United aim to alleviate the goal-scoring pressure on Rasmus Hojlund by acquiring a new forward. Joshua Zirkzee of Bologna is a prime target, with United willing to meet his £33.8m release clause. United’s pursuit has been boosted by AC Milan shifting their interest to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, reducing competition for Zirkzee.
2. **Alvaro Morata**: United have engaged in discussions with Alvaro Morata’s agent about a potential transfer. Morata, currently with Atletico Madrid, is available for a relatively low fee of £10.1m due to a release clause. However, competition for Morata includes clubs like AS Roma, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, and Fenerbahce.
3. **Net Transfer Budget**: United’s net transfer budget is reported to be just £50 million, with manager Erik ten Hag also looking to strengthen the defence and midfield.
4. **Antony’s Impact**: The substantial £82m spent on Antony has reportedly complicated further transfer dealings. Former United player Dwight Yorke suggests that this inflated transfer fee set a problematic precedent, particularly affecting United’s ability to sign players like Michael Olise from Crystal Palace, who could now command a higher fee.
These moves highlight United’s strategic efforts to balance their squad while managing a constrained budget.
