Manchester United set to face competition from La Liga giants for 21-year-old star: Reports
Manchester United are allegedly set to battle it out with La Liga giants Real Madrid in the race to rope in Sevilla defender Juanlu Sanchez.
Sanchez, 21, has emerged as one of the most promising right-backs in Spain over the past 12 months. He relished a breakout campaign for Sevilla last time around, starting 17 of his 37 overall appearances.
An offensive-minded full-back, the Spaniard also impressed at the Paris Olympics earlier this year. He scored one goal in four matches as Spain defeated the likes of France and Japan to win the gold medal.
Now, according to Spanish news outlet AS, Manchester United have set their eyes on Sanchez following the player's fine Olympic campaign. However, they are set to face competition from Real Madrid, who have Daniel Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez as their right-back options.
Sanchez, whose current contract will expire in June 2026, reportedly has a release clause of around £17 million. Overall, he has scored two goals and recorded three assists in 43 appearances for Sevilla so far.
Manchester United not planning to fire Erik ten Hag in near future, asserts Ben Jacobs
So far this campaign, Manchester United have won just one and lost three of their four matches across all competitions, netting three times.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Ben Jacobs shared an update on Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag's future following a disappointing start to the 2024-25 term. He elaborated:
"Right now, all parties, Ten Hag included, feel like patience is needed. This is a transitional period, and the success of the new model and Ten Hag's fit within it is not going to be apparent within one summer or a few games into a new season. It's going to take time."
Opining on Manchester United's summer signings, Jacobs continued:
"Leny Yoro got injured, [Manuel] Ugarte hasn't played yet. [Joshua] Zirkzee, I think, has only started one Premier League game. Luckily for Ten Hag, [Noussair] Mazraoui and [Matthijs] de Ligt he knows very well."
Stating that the Red Devils have no plans to sack Ten Hag, he added:
"It's a building process that nobody thinks is going to happen overnight. At least if [club CEO] Omar Berrada and [club sporting director] Dan Ashworth's public comments are to be believed, having taken a long time to back Ten Hag, they're not going to get rid of him this early in the season, so he's safe for now."
The Red Devils, who won just 26 of their 52 total matches last season, will next face Southampton in a Premier League contest this Saturday.