“Since these signings are close to completion there’s no need for us to have to deal with the flop duo in our team. It’s more economical for the club. It’s about time they left.” – Manchester United to offload ‘flop’ duo as Ashworth ‘nears completion’ of signings No. 3 and 4 amid ‘transfer hijack’ claims
Manchester United is making a strategic play in the transfer market by challenging AC Milan’s pursuit of Youssouf Fofana. The French midfielder has agreed to a four-year deal with Milan, planning to leave AS Monaco. With his current contract expiring in less than a year, Fofana has become a highly sought-after asset.
Monaco is keen to sell Fofana this summer to avoid losing him for free next year. Although AC Milan has agreed on personal terms with Fofana, they have yet to finalize a transfer fee with Monaco. Milan’s initial bid, between €20 million and €25 million (£16.8 million to £21.1 million), does not meet Monaco’s asking price of €35 million (£29.5 million), as reported by RMC Sport. This gap has left room for other suitors.
United, seizing the opportunity, is preparing to enter the fray with a more competitive offer. United’s decision-makers, led by Dan Ashworth, are devising a strategy to present a better bid to Monaco, leveraging their financial strength to surpass Milan’s offer and attract Monaco’s attention.
The potential sale of key players such as Casemiro and possibly Christian Eriksen is part of United’s plan to overhaul their midfield. With Sofyan Amrabat also expected to leave, United aims to strengthen their midfield significantly, targeting the addition of one or two new players this transfer window.
If these plans come to fruition, manager Erik ten Hag will have a strengthened and versatile midfield for the upcoming season. The integration of young talents like Kobbie Mainoo, alongside potential new signings such as Fofana and Manuel Ugarte, would provide ten Hag with a formidable array of options to tackle the challenges of the new campaign.
