da realsbet： Manchester United, after a 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League at Old Trafford, followed by Champions League exit, need January to arrive. The Red Devils have gone from a side on the up with top-four qualification and Carabao Cup glory secured to a team in free fall with Erik ten Hag desperate for solutions. With a trip to Anfield to face Premier League leaders Liverpool up next, the worst could be yet to come for United.
da bet7： When the January transfer window does swing open next month, United could at least get one over on their rivals, however, having made contact to sign one particular midfield target.
Man Utd transfer news
On paper, Manchester United looked ready to at least finish inside the top four once again in the Premier League. They replaced David de Gea with Andre Onana, who had just been narrowly defeated with Inter Milan in the Champions League final against Manchester City. They also welcomed Rasmus Hojlund – a young, out-and-out striker alongside Mason Mount full of Premier League experience. The Red Devils, with reinforcements, looked an improved side. Yet, that's been everything but the case and those at Old Trafford must now return to the transfer market.
According to TuttoJuve, Manchester United have made contact with the representatives of Khephren Thuram and OGC Nice ahead of a potential deal. The France midfielder has attracted plenty of reported interest, including from Liverpool and Manchester City, who have also reportedly made contact in pursuit of his signature. With all three English sides interested, United could face a difficult battle to land Thuram, however, the 22-year-old is already known by likely new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe due to his connections to Nice, a club he has owned since 2019.
"Fantastic" Thuram could be a level above McTominay
If Manchester United signed Thuram, they could have an instant upgrade on Scott McTominay in what may well be a crucial change for Ten Hag. Whilst Thuram's stats show that he doesn't score as many goals as the Scotland international, he does outperform the United man in a number of other important areas.
Player
Progressive Carries
Progressive Passes
Take-ons Completed
Tackles Won
Khephren Thuram
30
47
18
12
Scott McTominay
10
26
5
10
It's no surprise, given the numbers, that Thuram has been at the centre of praise already throughout his career, and that includes from former manager Didier Digard, who said:
"Khephren's fantastic. He is very hardworking, very attentive. On rest days he's at the training centre. He recovers quickly for back-to-back matches and completes high-intensity training. He listens and applies himself. He has room for improvement and he's in demand. He simply eats up video analysis, additional sessions. He also advises others, because he takes on a leadership role. He's also discovering himself as a person.”
As United continue to struggle, welcoming a player of Thuram's calibre could be vital to Ten Hag's hopes of turning things around, making the January transfer window all the more interesting and a deal one to watch following recent contact.