Man Utd & Man City set for £35m transfer battle as Chelsea ‘actively work’ to sign red hot strikerplaceholder image
Man Utd & Man City set for £35m transfer battle as Chelsea ‘actively work’ to sign red hot striker | Getty Images
Man United and Man City are both reportedly interested in the same Premier League star heading into the January transfer window.
Man United will be disappointed that they couldn’t replicate their pre-international break form over the weekend, as they lost 1-0 to Everton on Monday night. Ruben Amorim will be desperate to bounce back quickly, but that could be tricky, as United face Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Looking further forward, the January transfer window could be a big month for United, as they look to add to their squad to potentially force a push into the Champions League places during the second half of the season.
Their main priority is a midfielder, with the likes of Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba heavily linked. However, Amorim will also have other players on his mind, and one of the reported United targets is now wanted by Manchester City.
Man City join race for Semenyo
According to talkSPORT, Pep Guardiola is a massive fan of Semenyo, and the player is very much open to a move to the Etihad Stadium, which could shatter Man United’s hopes of signing the player. City can offer Champions League football and potential trophies straight away, whereas Man United can’t offer such promises to Semenyo.
Furthermore, Man United are currently trying to decrease its wage bill, and so City will likely be able to offer a better wage to the Bournemouth star instead. This means that any hope United had of potentially landing the Cherries’ winger is all but gone, and they may need to consider other targets instead.
Do Man United really need Semenyo?
Firstly, it is worth saying that Semenyo is too good to say they don’t need him at all, because any team would want a player of that quality to help improve their attack. He has scored three goals, and provided six assists for Bournemouth in the Premier League this season.
However, if United were to spend £65m on Semenyo, would that money not be better spent as part of a deal for a midfielder such as Anderson, Baleba or Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
Both Anderson and Baleba are expected to cost upwards of £100m, so £65m could go a long way towards achieving that figure. Furthermore, Wharton could cost as little as £70m, meaning United may even be able to afford him if they opt against going after Semenyo. A potential January signing of Wharton would be a much more wise use of funds than Semenyo simply because, United already have to quality attackers in the number 10 roles, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
They should consider adding midfield reinforcements instead if they really want a go at a potential Champions League spot for next season.
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