3 players Manchester United could realistically sign this January
Manchester United are, at the moment, an utter shambles in every way. With a sub-standard starting XI, lack of choices off the bench, lack of attacking patterns, and essentially no midfield, the club's decision to not strengthen effectively in the summer has already begun to haunt them.
Granted, the Red Devils did spend a British and world-record fee of £80m to attain the services of England's best centre-half, Harry Maguire, in the summer of 2019. Alongside the Englishman, they also dropped nearly £50m on his compatriot Aaron Wan-Bissaka and an electrifying prospect in Daniel James, who was untested in the Premier League.
Although, the underlying factor is that most of the money that was spent was already recouped from the offloading of Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Antonio Valencia, Ander Herrera, Chris Smalling, and others, be it via transfer fees or massive wages off their bill.
Football has, time and again, proved that a bottomless pit of financial support doesn't necessarily equate to results on the pitch. For all their might in the transfer market, clubs such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have hardly breached the penultimate stages of the Champions League since the turn of the last decade, let alone win it.
For United, though, it is now not only a matter of spending on quality but also spending on numbers, which has recently developed into a massive issue. With two prominent starters in Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay expected to face long spells on the sidelines, we take a look at 3 players the Red Devils could potentially sign this winter.
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3. Emre Can
Emre Can's fall from grace has been a rather spectacular one. This isn't to say that the German was at any point a consistent performer for seasons together but he always had an evident set of qualities to his game. Liverpool signed him with a great deal of hope and expectation for a cut-price fee of €12.5m and Can did provide them with a handful of memorable moments including a Goal of the Season strike against Watford. Yet, with his failure to build on his 4 years at Anfield, the former Bayer Leverkusen man moved to Juventus on a free transfer with considerably higher wages.
Things haven't worked out well for the 25-year-old as he was sensationally omitted from Juventus' Champions League squad, sparking a rant from Can regarding his disappointment. The former Liverpool man has failed to break into Maurizio Sarri's plans and hasn't earned a single start for himself this season.
Now, this might not be the most ideal transfer for United for a number of reasons, also given his Liverpool connection. But Can does come with a few attributes that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could do within his current setup.
A relatively versatile player by nature, Can has been used in a number of positions on the pitch including centre-half, right-back, and more. Due to the number of injuries the Red Devils have accumulated this season, it could benefit them greatly from a versatile presence in the squad. The German offers a physical presence in midfield, which is, of course, the most important aspect of this move.
Fred is perhaps the only midfielder operating at a consistent and respectable level at the moment, with an unfortunate injury to McTominay and Pogba's spell on the sidelines being reportedly extended. Can could provide Fred with some protection as well as that to Harry Maguire & co., allowing the Brazilian to stamp his authority on the game. With an average 83% pass completion rate and 2.4 tackles a game, the Juventus midfielder could be a possible solution for the present and an important squad player should or when the club find an available upgrade.
If reports in England are to be believed, Can could be available for a price in the region of £35m.