Five Players Manchester United could have signed in January - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
It has been a frustrating January transfer window for the Manchester United fans. Not a single player arrived this month, and no attempt has been made to make necessary reinforcements when it really mattered.
For the first time since 2005, United have failed to sign a player in January. If the results do not improve soon, the atmosphere at Old Trafford could turn acerbic and mutinous.
Louis van Gaal has taken a big gamble here. He previously stated that he would not buy players for the sake of buying. He said earlier this month:
“They must be of a certain quality because I do not want to buy players just for the sake of buying, and I do not want to bring in players as short-term solutions.”
Despite United’s inconsistent form in the league (two wins in their last 10 games), the Dutchman was confident of a successful title challenge.
“Four clubs are above us and it will be difficult to get past them, but not impossible,” he said. “In various leagues you have seen this sort of thing happen before and at this stage we just have to believe we can do it. The first thing to do is start winning games and if you can keep doing that then you can start to put pressure on others.”
Imagine, had United signed a striker, a full back and a winger, the Red Devils would have approached the rest of the season with a different mindset. Here we take a look at five players United could have signed in January.
Edinson Cavani
This was probably the best chance for United to sign Cavani, whose relationship with PSG manager Laurent Blanc has grown cold in recent months. Cavani was reportedly keen to join a club that could offer him a chance to play in his favourite #9 role. United reportedly made an offer to sign the Uruguayan, but probably they didn’t push hard enough.
Felipe Anderson
The Brazilian was perfect for United. He is fast, skilful, and versatile. Lazio simply wanted to sell him at the right price. United made several contacts with the player’s agent, but somehow, the interest died down of all a sudden.
Ahmed Musa
Also wanted by Leicester, another striker who could have been a good addition to the squad. United were never willing to pay £23m for the Nigerian.
Ever Banega
While United are choc-a-bloc with central midfielders at present, the Red Devils are probably looking to add quality players in that area probably with a view to replacing ageing star like Michael Carrick.
Argentine midfielder Banega was linked with a move to Old Trafford in January, but United probably didn’t show enough interest in him. The same can be about Fulham’s Moussa Dembele or Benfica’s Renato Sanches.
Long list of Full backs
United wanted to sign a full-back in the January transfer window, but were unsuccessful in their attempt to get one. The likes of Mathieu Debuchy and Omar Elabdellaoui have been linked with a move on deadline day, but it was probably too late by that time.
From Soccerlens.com - Football News
