‘Deal closed’: Manchester United make shocking transfer move for £24m star from Premier League rival
Manchester United still aren’t finished with their business in the transfer market ahead of the deadline on Friday, and are pushing ahead in their pursuit of one target.
With both Luke Shaw and Tyrel Malacia expected to miss at least the next few weeks, if not months, of the season, Manchester United have started looking at left-back options to bolster their squad.
Diogo Dalot filled in there against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, but Erik ten Hag is keen in bringing in a specialist left-back in order for his system at Old Trafford to work most effectively.
A shortlist of players has been drawn up, but one target has moved ahead of the others in their rankings.
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United want to sign Rico Henry from Brentford. The 26-year-old left-back has proved integral to Thomas Frank’s side since their promotion to the Premier League, and Ten Hag has been impressed with the Englishman.
The report suggest that the Red Devils have enquired about Henry’s availability, though he does still have another three years to run on his contract with Brentford having the option of a further year.
Valued at £24m by Transfermarkt, Henry could therefore cost considerably more with such little time left in the window to find a replacement. Henry is also in contention for his first England call-up this week, too, after putting in such strong performances for the Bees over the past 12 months.
Should Manchester United’s pursuit of Henry not come to fruition, they’ll continue to look at other left-back targets.
Among them are Marcos Alonso from Barcelona – who hasn’t been registered by the La Liga side for the new campaign, Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella, Tottenham Hotspur’s Sergio Reguilon, Nicolas Tagliafico and free agent Ryan Bertrand.
Whether they’re able to conclude a deal with such little time left in the window remains to be seen, though. The summer transfer window closes on Friday, September 1 at 11pm BST.