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INEOS could exploit swap deals this summer to work around Manchester United’s tight budget and these five potential transfers would save them a fortune...
Antony for Jesse Rodriguez £86million flop Antony has a serious case for being Man Utd’s worst signing post-Sir Alex Ferguson . It’s been proven that they paid significantly above market value and had their pants pulled down by Ajax to sign Erik ten Hag’s top target in 2022. Man Utd would have struggled to get £20m for the winger before his January loan to Real Betis, but his trajectory has dramatically altered in recent months.
He has been a footballer reborn in La Liga, with a goal involvement every two games on average. Suddenly, Antony has emerged as one of Man Utd’s most valuable assets and his unexpected resurgence has come at the perfect time with INEOS looking to re-align their eye-watering net spend for a much-needed overhaul under head coach Ruben Amorim . It’s hardly surprising that Real Betis are desperate to keep Antony, but they cannot compete with Europe’s elite.
This means they would need to get imaginative in negotiations to land him permanently and it’s been reported that they could include Rodriguez – who has a £42m release clause – in a swap deal. Manuel Pellegrini would presumably prefer to keep the 19-year-old winger – who has five goals and four assists this term – but such a sacrifice is needed if they are to have any hope of keeping Antony beyond this season, while the Red Devils would gain another teenage talent with a huge upside on the cheap. READ: Bruno Fernandes over Mo Salah for Player of the Year? Sorry, what? Diogo Dalot for Diogo Costa Dalot has struggled in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, with the only time he’s flourished coming against Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, who made the Portuguese international resemble Jeremie Frimpong rather than Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the final third.
The Man Utd star has failed to replicate this level of performance against sterner opposition and is far too limited in the attacking half to be the all-action wing-back Amorim desires. It’s hard to see Dalot being anything more than a backup under Amorim in the long run and it would not be the worst idea to use him in a deal to sign a replacement for Andre Onana, whose days at Man Utd should be numbered amid his woeful decline this season. Diogo Costa – who also has admirers at Manchester City – has been loosely mooted as a replacement for Onana amid his £64m release clause and he would be a clear upgrade on United’s current No.
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. 👉 Huge Man Utd transfer twist as ‘deal cannot move forward’ despite ‘basic agreement’ 👉 Man Utd ‘close in’ on ‘surprise’ free transfer with Championship star to replace Red Devil set for exit 👉 Man Utd offer PL star £180k a week as triple sale needed to complete £92.5m double deal Alejandro Garnacho for Victor Osimhen Speaking of players who do not fit into Amorim’s formation, erratic winger Garnacho has been increasingly infuriating to watch this season, leaving fans and neutrals alike pulling their hair out.
Garnacho’s ineffectiveness has added to Man Utd’s attacking woes, though a caveat is that the No.10 and wing-back roles are alien to the natural winger and unlike Amad Diallo, he’s struggled with the change from Ten Hag to Amorim. The Argentina international remains a top prospect with significant potential and his woes this season don’t mean he won’t eventually come good, but he’s unlikely to thrive under Amorim.
INEOS would be wise to cash in, especially considering he is one of very few players who could be sold for over £50m. Alternatively, he could be used to facilitate a move for a priority signing with £64m-rated Osimhen among the strikers linked with Man Utd . It’s been widely reported that the Red Devils are actually after Ipswich striker Liam Delap, but Osimhen is the level of statement signing required at Old Trafford and a swap involving Garnacho could suit all parties after Napoli pushed for the winger to replace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January.
READ: Elanga to Man Utd, Solanke to Liverpool in Premier League re-sign list Rasmus Hojlund for Ademola Lookman There was real optimism surrounding Hojlund at Man Utd after he handled the burden of largely being Ten Hag’s only recognised striker in his debut season, with his 16-goal tally a more than respectable return following his £64m plus add-ons move from Atalanta. But the Denmark international did not have nearly enough credit in the bank to get away unscathed amid his dismal downfall this season, with the forward devoid of all confidence and even struggling to manage the basics. The poor service has not helped Hojlund, but he has been miles off it and Joshua Zirkzee’s steady growth saw him dislodge his teammate as Amorim’s first-choice striker before he got injured.
Between Zirkzee and Hojlund, the latter currently looks the obvious choice to offload to make way for a new striker and a return to Serie A could be exactly what he needs. A potential move to Juventus has been mooted, but Man Utd reportedly have an offer from Atalanta to offload Hojlund in a swap deal with Lookman , who has come a long way since his past spells in the Premier League. With a reported valuation of around £50m, Lookman has shone in a similar formation to Amorim’s 3-4-3 at Atalanta in the No.
10 role and would certainly offer more of a threat than United’s current options. A signing already agreed should also be a great fit for the Red Devils. Marcus Rashford for Ollie Watkins While some argued that Rashford required a move away from the Premier League in January to reset, the two-hour drive from Manchester to Birmingham was enough of a scenic change for him to rediscover his love for football; he’s benefited from escaping a basket case for a well-run club on the up.
Rashford looks sharp as Unai Emery has been getting the best out of him. His return to form will inevitably attract interest from more suitors in the summer, but he risks undermining his great work if he goes anywhere else. The £40m buy option in Rashford’s loan currently looks a snip, but Villa likely wouldn’t have to pay a fee at all if Man Utd get their reported wish of a swap involving Watkins (valued at £42.
5m on Transfermarkt ). Watkins has cut a frustrated figure with Rashford taking the limelight at Villa Park, and a summer separation could be on the cards after the Villans “offered” him to Arsenal in January. The England international remains one of the standout strikers in the Premier League and he’d start most games for Man Utd as a wily veteran for Zirkzee, Hojlund and/or Delap to learn from after a similar role was not given to Harry Kane when it should have been before the 2023/24 campaign.
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