Your daily reminder that Manchester United are bad at transfers
Manchester United reportedly made an unsuccessful last-ditch attempt to sign Timo Werner from Chelsea, as their miserable summer continues.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be well aware that things haven’t been going to plan for United in the transfer market this summer.
Talk of the badly needed squad overhaul first floated by Ralf Rangnick earlier this year now seems a very long time ago, with United struggling to get a number of deals over the line.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Erik ten Hag’s search for a striker saw them launch a move for Werner, shortly before he sealed a £25m-return to RB Leipzig.
Werner joined Chelsea two years ago, having caught the eye of several of the continent’s top clubs during his first spell at Leipzig.
Though he was part of the side which helped Chelsea to a second Champions League crown last year, his time at Stamford Bridge has been underwhelming, with Todd Boehly willing to take a near 50 per cent hit on the fee paid out for him by his predecessor.
United’s attempt to sign him came after their plans to bring Benjamin Sesko to Old Trafford from Red Bull Salzburg collapsed. The young Slovenian has also agreed to join Leipzig, but next summer. He will remain in Austria for the season ahead.
Ten Hag had also suggested Marko Arnautovic – the former Stoke and West Ham striker – may also work as a short-term solution to United’s lack of depth in attack. Despite lodging a bid with Bologna, where he currently plies his trade, the move was aborted after United supporters flooded club CEO Richard Arnold with emails expressing their concern about the player’s alleged history of racism.
United have brought in three new faces to their first team squad since the end of last season: Tyrell Malacia has arrived from Feyenoord and was followed by Lisandro Martinez from Ajax and Christian Eriksen, who arrived on a free.
Their drawn-out pursuit of Frenkie de Jong rumbles on, though Chelsea appear to have moved ahead of them in the race for the Barcelona midfielder.
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