Man Utd want to sign two Real Madrid players in the summer transfer window as Sir Jim Ratcliffe earmarks major investment, according to reports.
The Red Devils have been having a terrible time of it this season with Ruben Amorim’s side currently 14th in the Premier League table with only 10 matches to play.
Man Utd have won just five of their 17 Premier League fixtures under the Portuguese head coach with results and performances even worse than under predecessor Erik ten Hag, who was sacked at the end of October.
Amorim has struggled to get his players to adjust to his playing style, philosophy and tactics, while he was afforded just one January transfer window signing in the form of Patrick Dorgu.
It’s clear that his current squad aren’t suited to the tactics Amorim wants to employ and it will now be an important summer transfer window giving the Man Utd boss the players he needs.
And Spanish website Fichajes insists Man Utd ‘wants to sign two Real Madrid stars’ and that the Red Devils ‘intend’ to make a ‘multi-million investment’ in Andriy Lunin – who is reportedly valued at around €40m (£33m) and Aurelien Tchouameni.
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Man Utd ‘believe both players can provide immediate solutions in positions where they have struggled this season and are willing to make a significant offer to convince Real Madrid’.
The report adds:
‘Lunin’s situation has caught the attention of the Old Trafford club due to André Onana’s inconsistent performance.
‘The Ukrainian has demonstrated his quality when given opportunities at Real Madrid, but with Thibaut Courtois’ return from injury, his role as a substitute could reinforce his decision to look for a new destination.
‘Manchester United see him as a reliable option to strengthen their goalkeeping and avoid the problems that have arisen in goalkeeping during the season.
‘On the other hand, the interest in Tchouaméni responds to the English club’s need to strengthen its midfield with an elite player. Despite the Frenchman’s difficult start in Madrid, he has managed to establish himself as a key player in Carlo Ancelotti’s scheme.
‘The English club is reportedly willing to invest around €80m (£67m) for his signing, a figure that would allow the Merengues to recoup their investment in 2022.’
There are doubts that Man Utd will be able to convince Real Madrid to part with Tchouameni but the Red Devils ‘remain insistent’ on their desire to sign both players.
Man Utd goalkeeper Onana has come in for a lot of criticism this season and there have been reports that Amorim ‘wants him out now’ as they approach the summer.
Former Man Utd winger Lee Sharpe is not convinced about Onana either and reckons the Cameroonian is impacting on the confidence of his team-mates.
Sharpe said: “I’m still not sure about the goalkeeper.
“You want your goalkeeper to be safe, to be consistent and you sort of need to understand him a little bit. But at the moment, I’m not sure what Onana’s doing. He’s letting in some silly goals and making some silly mistakes. We know he can play a little bit, he’s got great feet and he can ping the ball around. But the first job of a goalkeeper is to keep the ball out of the back of the net and that’s a nigh-on impossible job for him.
“With a change in back-three and back-five all the time, it’s really hard for the goalkeeper to get any connection and understanding with his defenders, but he’s got to start doing a lot better.
“You can’t have outfield players working so hard, trying to get results and then the goalkeeper just throws one in and just kills everybody’s spirit. Everybody’s head drops down, confidence goes…so yeah, you need him to be trustworthy, reliable and consistent and he’s not being that at the moment. But I’m sure he’s got that in him.”