Borussia Dortmund star Manuel Akanji has an ‘offer from Manchester United’ on the table, according to reports. The 26-year-old has been tipped to move to Old Trafford amid Harry Maguire’s struggles at the back this term. And any deal that would see him leave Dortmund for the Premier League would, potentially, spell trouble for Maguire and his prospects of staying in the team.
United have struggled with consistent centre-backs ever since the departures of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in 2014 to Queens Park Rangers and Inter Milan respectively.
And that remains the case all these years on.
When United shelled out a huge £80million for Maguire nearly three years ago, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was adamant he was onto a winner.
Yet the former Leicester star has struggled to live up to both expectations and his price tag during his time at Old Trafford.
Some even believe Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane represent the club’s best centre-back pairing as they look to salvage their season.
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And they’ve earmarked Freiburg’s Nico Schlotterbeck as a possible recruit, with the player enjoying a positive Bundesliga campaign so far.
Akanji isn’t the only player United are weighing up a move for ahead of the summer transfer window.
They’re expected to pursue a deal for West Ham’s Declan Rice, who carries a price tag of in the region of £100m.
Manchester City and Chelsea, however, are expected to rival United for the England international’s signature.
Up top, the Red Devils want to sign a young forward amid uncertainty over the futures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani.
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And they’ve consequently been tipped to go after the likes of Harry Kane and Alexander Isak, who are currently in form at Tottenham and Real Sociedad respectively.
Meanwhile, regarding Maguire, Paul Parker thinks the 28-year-old may be sold at the end of the season.
“If United, in my opinion, were to get somewhere near to their money back on Harry Maguire, I think they’ll have to think about it,” he told Express Sport.
“I think [Victor] Lindelof and [Raphael] Varane, you know, they could build something on there maybe, in a mode of what they’re looking for and where the club wants to be.
“You’re talking about players who are definitely more agile, a little bit quicker, better defenders in one against one situations and I think you have to look at it that way.
“I don’t know if it’s going to happen.
“Me, personally, for United to go forward, that’s the starting area.
“But again the same old scenario – you don’t want the manager coming in and all of a sudden, he comes in, he wants to do stuff and then he stops, the people above stop him from doing what he wants to do and then United go through the same stories.”
United are next in action against Manchester City on Sunday (4.30pm).
And they’ll be hoping to avoid a repeat of the 2-0 home defeat suffered at Old Trafford earlier in the season.
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