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Based on the first two Manchester United displays this season, it is safe to say that manager Erik ten Hag needs to bring in further reinforcements.
The midfield is the area in need of urgent attention but the club have exhausted their transfer kitty in the process of bringing Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund to the club.
The only way for the club to add more players is to raise capital through player sales. However, that has proved to be tougher than anticipated.
United have struggled to offload players so far
So far, most departures have been that of academy graduates with the only high-profile exit being that of Fred. Quite a few departures were on the anvil but they fell through at the last minute.
The likes of Donny van de Beek, Eric Bailly and Dean Henderson have all seen moves not work out but the most high-profile has been that of Harry Maguire.
The England international was very close to leaving with West Ham United agreeing a deal with United for their former skipper. In the end, the player and the club could not reach a consensus regarding the pay-off amount.
The centre-back is said to be happy to fight for his place at United but has not managed to make an appearance this season, and was not even part of the matchday squad against Tottenham Hotspur.
While West Ham seem to have moved on and have brought in Konstantinos Mavropanos, there is still a chance that Maguire’s move to London could happen.
According to Foot Mercato, Ligue 1 side Rennes are interested in bringing back Nayef Aguerd with the player also open to the move.
“A year after leaving Rennes for West Ham, where he quickly established himself as an important player for David Moyes, the Moroccan international is linked to his former club where he is highly regarded.
Maguire’s West Ham move still not dead
“According to our sources, when West Ham started investigating the Maguire track this summer, Rennes, who are also targeting Davinson Sanchez and Rob Holding, positioned themselves to bring Aguerd back on loan to strengthen their defence. The 27-year-old defender is open to a return to Ligue 1.”
If Aguerd does end up leaving to join his former club, there is a good chance David Moyes could once again look at bringing the England star to the London Stadium.
Even though the 30-year-old is confident of getting plenty of game-time at United, the truth is he is effectively fifth-choice, and with the Euros coming up, he needs as much game time as possible and West Ham could help with that.
United are desperate for funds and it is clear to see that Maguire is not part of Ten Hag’s plans going forward. An exit would be the best solution for both parties.
