Amid rumours that they've joined the race to sign Hugo Ekitike, Manchester United are now reportedly considering a summer swoop to sign another Bundesliga star for Ruben Amorim.
Man Utd join Ekitike race
Despite finishing as low as 15th in the Premier League and missing out on European qualification, Manchester United have still managed to put themselves in interesting conversations this summer. The Manchester United name seemingly still carries strong and has already convinced Matheus Cunha to arrive from Wolverhampton Wanderers. But INEOS are not done there.
According to recent reports, the Red Devils have now joined the race to sign Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer. The German club value their forward at a hefty £84m but that has not been enough to deter those at Old Trafford from making their approach in an attempt to beat rivals Liverpool to a summer deal.
League stats 24/25 (via FBref) Hugo Ekitike Rasmus Hojlund Joshua Zirkzee
Minutes 2,563 2,004 1,402
Goals 15 4 3
Assists 8 0 1
Expected Goals 21.6 5.3 4.8
It's easy to see why Manchester United are interested in Ekitike. The Frenchman outscored Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee combined last season and whilst his underperformance when it comes to XG may be a concern, there's no denying that he'd be an instant upgrade on Amorim's current options.
Of course, it's at Old Trafford that Ekitike could form an impressive partnership with Cunha. The Brazilian was officially unveiled as a Manchester United player earlier this week and told the club's media channels: “It is the most common phrase that you can say at this moment, but this is the dream come true. Maybe outside, I think maybe my decision, they don’t understand. But when you have always dreamed to play here, it’s easier to pick this decision."
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He would be an upgrade on a current player.
After Cunha and perhaps even after Ekitike, however, INEOS could still be on the hunt for fresh faces, which could yet include a Bayern Munich defender.
Man Utd considering Kim Min-jae move
According to Bild reporter Christian Falk, Manchester United are now considering a move to sign Kim Min-jae from Bayern Munich this summer. The defender is set to fall down the pecking order in Germany following the arrival of Jonathan Tah and could, therefore, be on the move in the coming months.
Falk told Caught Offside: "No decision has yet been made on Kim Min-jae’s future. There have also been no negotiations with the player’s side. But, there is interest from Saudi Arabia. Kim has not ruled it out.
"However, we are still waiting to see whether Liverpool and Manchester United become concrete. There are also rumours that the two Premier League clubs are interested. The fact is: FC Bayern can imagine a sale. However, there is still no offer for the defender.”
kim-min-jae-bayern-munich
Dubbed a "technical leader" by former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung, Min-jae could solve Amorim's defensive problems once and for all by completing a summer move to revive his career following Bayern frustration.
Having initially cost the Bavarians around €50m (£43m) in 2023, however, there will be big questions as to how much they will demand to sell their centre-back this summer.