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
Both the Manchester clubs are interested in the same player heading into the January transfer window.
Man United will be heading into the January transfer window slightly disheartened that Ruben Amorim’s squad has had to be broken up because of AFCON. Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo both left the club, and may be gone until late January if their teams do well.
Meanwhile, Manchester City are fully embroiled in a title race yet again under Pep Guardiola, as they battle against a strong Arsenal side, and will be hoping to strengthen in January to help their chances.
Both sides have been linked to a Premier League wing-back heading into January, a player who has been one of the best in the division at his position this season. However, he is now injured, which could cause problems.
Munoz suffers knee injury ahead of January
Meanwhile, for City, they need a more natural defender than Matheus Nunes, a right-midfielder who finds himself playing a full-back role. 29-year-old Munoz is only expected to cost around £34m, and for a player of his quality, that is a fair price, but it seems the two clubs may have to look elsewhere.
Sky Sports reports that Munoz will have to undergo surgery on his knee, and he could be out for an extended period as he recovers. They claim that this unfortunate update means that Crystal Palace themselves will go into the January window, looking to sign a wing-back to replace Munoz.
With that in mind, both Man United and Man City will have to consider alternatives to the Palace star if they want to strengthen on the right side of defence.
Who could Man United and Man City sign instead?
There have not yet been reports suggesting an alternative for either United or City, but one player who was previously linked with a move to Old Trafford was Eintracht Frankfurt right-back Nathaniel Brown.
The German international is also an attacking wing-back, and is used to playing in a 3-4-3; He has been linked to several Premier League teams, and so could be a wise alternative.
Although not as proven as Munoz, Brown is more of a long-term option, as he is just 22 years old. However, that does mean that the Frankfurt star will be more expensive than Munoz, with reports indicating that he could cost around £52m if any club wanted to sign him in January.
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