Manchester United on-field march towards silverware was dented a major blow after their emphatic FA Cup win over Reading.
Manager Erik ten Hag delivered some bad news with regards to midfield maestro Christian Eriksen, who was seen walking with the help of crutches post that game.
The Dutchman confirmed that the Dane would be missing till April and that meant the club had to dip into the loan market to find a temporary solution.
Gravenberch was a Deadline Day target
Marcel Sabitzer ended up arriving from Bayern Munich, a move hailed by many as the Austrian is seen as a like-for-like replacement for the Denmark international.
But as The Independent revealed on deadline day, the former RB Leipzig man was not the only player Ten Hag had in mind.
United had also enquired about a possible deal for former Ajax starlet Ryan Gravenberch, however, Bayern refused to let the 20-year-old leave.
Bayern Munich were reluctant to allow #MUFC a loan deal for Ryan Gravenberch.
United have also enquired with Leicester about a potential loan move for Youri Tielemans, but the expected fee involved has been deemed too high by United. [@MiguelDelaney]#TransferNews #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/35rhFAI22x
— Noah Mcilroy (@NsmUnited) January 31, 2023
“The German outfit were reluctant to allow United a loan deal for Ryan Gravenberch,” Miguel Delaney wrote in the report.
The Dutch midfielder, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax, has not started a game in the Bundesliga since joining Bayern last summer and has barely featured for the German club.
Bayern only allowed Sabitzer to leave
Since he has barely played, United had thought a deal would be possible but it never materialised.
The thinking behind the deal was he was well-versed with Ten Hag’s methods and the manager knew his capabilities.
The Bavarian giants were much more open to letting Sabitzer leave, with Chelsea also interested at one point considering the uncertainty surrounding the Enzo Fernandez deal.
United were also offered multiple players by intermediaries including the likes of Saul Niguez, Isco and Yannick Carrasco.
