Manchester United and INEOS have made contact with a £40 million+ star who has scored a European final hat-trick, as they look to bring him to Old Trafford, according to a recent report.
Two possible Man Utd exits in January
The January transfer window opens in just over two weeks, so it is expected that behind the scenes at Old Trafford it could be rather busy, as the club’s board puts plans in place as to what they want to do over the next month or so for Ruben Amorim.
Related
Man Utd now make approach to sign £62m ace as possible Rashford replacement
INEOS could accelerate Rashford’s potential Man United exit, as they eye his replacement.
It is unclear how busy the Red Devils could be in regards to arrivals, as financial fair play rules mean money is rather tight. Therefore, it could well be a case of moving players on in the hope of then being able to bring in reinforcements. INEOS appears ready to do that, as it’s emerged that two players could be allowed to leave in January.
The first player is defender Victor Lindelof, as Man United are prepared to sell the Swedish international in the New Year. The defender is out of contract at the end of the season, and instead of him leaving for free, United are looking to get around £5-6 million for him. Lindelof is said to be open to leaving Old Trafford, as he’s got several Premier League and Italian teams interested in his services.
Lindelof is not the only player who could leave, as Man Utd are also willing to let Marcus Rashford leave in January. The Englishman has struggled for form this season, and now Sir Jim Ratcliffe is possibly willing to let Rashford leave in order to raise cash funds. Rashford hasn’t been a regular under Amorim and was left out of the squad for the Manchester Derby on Sunday.
Now, according to Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Manchester United have made contact with Ademola Lookman’s entourage over a possible transfer. The 27-year-old plays for Italian side Atalanta and has done so since August 2022, when he joined from RB Leipzig.
Lookman has been an instant hit in Bergamo since joining, as he scored 13 goals in 31 Serie A games in his first season, followed by 11 in 31, and so far, this season, he already has eight in 13. Lookman was very impressive for Atalanta last season and was key in them winning the Europa League, as he scored a hat-trick in the final that secured their famous win against Bayer Leverkusen.
His excellent form has continued, and he has now emerged on the radar of the Red Devils. Tavolieri reports that Lookman wants to return to England after his successful stint in Italy, and Atalanta have told the forward that they will negotiate a transfer as long as they receive a satisfactory offer.
Man United are among the teams to have contacted Lookman’s entourage, along with Liverpool and Chelsea. Bayern Munich are also interested in Lookman, but they are behind the English teams in the race, while PSG did have an agreement with Atalanta to sign Lookman, but the deal was rejected by manager Luis Enrique. Atalanta are not willing to discuss a transfer below €50 million, which is roughly £41 million.
