Manchester United transfer news as Zeno Debast emerges as a potential defensive target for Ruben Amorim
Zeno Debast
Zeno Debast could be the face of Man United's defence in the future
(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Manchester United are already putting plans in place for the January transfer window after backing Ruben Amorim with over £215million. The Reds brought in four players during the summer after recording their worst season in 51 years.
Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens all came in to bolster Amorim's team. The window closed last Monday and there are still glaring issues within the squad ahead of the next market opportunity.
Andre Onana's imminent exit to Trabzonspor means United's number one spot is vacant. Lammens' arrival from Royal Antwerp does hand Amorim a fresh option but there are no guarantees of his ability to become the new goalkeeper.
A new midfielder is at the top of the wishlist after interest accelerated for Carlos Baleba. Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton and Sporting CP's Morten Hjulmand are also expected to be considered when the opportunity next arises.
However, uncertainty over Harry Maguire's long-term future and Lisandro Martinez's unavailability due to injury means another centre-back could be pursued in January, or next summer. Amorim has utilised Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Luke Shaw in his back three with Ayden Heaven and Harry Maguire as back-up.
For the 'next generation', United are expected to look at further bolstering their backline in the future. Fenerbahce's 19-year-old Yusuf Akçiçek and Ajax's 18-year-old Aaron Bouwman are two youngsters linked in the past few months.
However, Sporting CP's Zeno Debast is a player that makes more sense. The 21-year-old was signed by Amorim last summer at Sporting for a fee of €15.5million (£13.4m) plus €5.5m (£4.7m) in add-ons from Anderlecht and featured often before his move to United.
The Belgium international has been linked with a reunion with the Reds boss with Caught Offside claiming agents within the game have suggested that he is highly regarded by Old Trafford chiefs.
Arsenal are also believed to be interested in him having sent scouts to watch him play. Reports in Portugal have claimed that United were exploring a €40m bid in January, falling well short of his €80m (£69.3m) release clause.
It's understood that Sporting may be open to negotiating a deal below that figure. Fortunately for United, the latest figures released by the CIES Football Observatory indicate the defender should be valued between €48m (£41.5m) and €56m (£48.5m). Using a sample of over 8,000 transfers, the website evaluates prices of players from the five major European top-flights using the statistical technique of multiple linear regression, with fees paid by clubs as an independent variable.
A move in January, at that figure, is unlikely with United having no European football revenue to bank. However, next summer could see them jump to the front of the queue for his signature.
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