Manchester United are planning to ‘make moves’ in two areas under new boss Ruben Amorim in the January transfer window, according to reports.
The Red Devils are targeting an ‘affordable striker’ as well as a new No.8 to play in central midfield, Sky in Germany’s transfer guru Florian Plettenberg has claimed.
United are closely monitoring Leon Goretzka, although it is thought the Bayern Munich midfielder has no plans to leave the Bundesliga giants this winter.
It remains to be seen what type of ‘affordable striker’ United will go for, but it appears to rule out a move for someone like Viktor Gyökeres, given his price tag.
United are among the teams linked to Sporting Lisbon’s Gyökeres – who has a €100m release clause – with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all keen too.
Should United succeed in their quest to land a cheap striker and new No.8 this January, it would allow them to focus on bringing in a new defender next summer.
It is believed that the Red Devils are waiting until the summer transfer window to launch a fresh move for Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite.
Ousmane Diomade, who plays as a defender for Sporting Lisbon, has also attracted interest from United, who are again likely to wait until the summer.
Amorim will officially get started as United manager on November 11, ending his four-year stint in charge of Sporting Lisbon to replace Erik ten Hag.
He has been urged to bring midfielder Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford for a third stint by former United striker Louis Saha.
‘Paul Pogba can go wherever he wants,’ Saha told Paddy Power. ‘If he’s given the platform to show his talent again, people will be reminded of how special he is. He can play in the Champions League; he can play for France and I’m a big fan of his.
‘I’ve always been harsh on him because when you have that talent, you have a responsibility. He’s going to be super motivated when he comes back.
‘I would love to see him at Manchester United [for a third spell as a player] because when you look at their midfield, they have lost Scott McTominay which is a loss because he contributed to the team well.’