Manchester United seem to have completed the bulk of their summer shopping spree with a couple of days to go before the transfer window slams shut.
It is a welcome change compared to previous years when United were trying to wrap up deals with the clock ticking down. The only major thing left is to sell players either permanently or on loan with Erik ten Hag working with a bloated squad at the moment.
One constant will be the story surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese arrived on deadline day last season and he might depart on the same day this year as his agent Jorge Mendes desperately tries to find him a Champions League club.
Striker search
And if that ends up happening, United might need to find a backup option and Memphis Depay and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are both being looked at.
They have already signed Antony to solve their right-wing issues but at one point due to the uncertainty surrounding the future of United’s No 7, the Red Devils had enquired about a bucketload of strikers and that extensive list also included Alexander Isak.
🚨 Manchester United tried to hijack Newcastle’s club-record transfer for Alexander Isak, only for the Swedish striker to turn them down.
(Source: @MundoDeportivo) pic.twitter.com/74nEJ2pvO1
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 30, 2022
The Sweden international recently completed a move to Newcastle United from Real Sociedad and before the Magpies had entered the fray, United had put in a ‘juicy offer’ with the player’s agency but they ended up advising the player to not accept the deal.
This new information comes via Mundo Deportivo, who claim that Los Txuri-Urdin were aware of the fact that United had spoken to their player but no formal offer was presented to the club.
United missed out on Isak
The Swedish striker’s reluctance to make the move to Old Trafford means he will miss out on the chance to play against his former side in the Europa League group stages.
The first game of the group will feature both sides and it is set to be a home encounter for the Red Devils. They had already beaten the La Liga side last time they had met in the same competition when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the manager.
With the transfer of Isak to Newcastle, the Basque club have earned €70 million with another €5million in easily achievable add-ons also set to increase the overall windfall.
The 22-year-old’s buyout clause was set at €90million but the player was adamant to leave for St James’ Park where his wage was set to be tripled.
Sociedad’s smart handling of the transfer also includes a clause they inserted into the deal which states that the club will be liable to be paid 10% of future transfer profit.
Isak’s first test as a Premier League player is set to be a contest against Liverpool.
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