Reds paying for lack of midfield signing
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer is privately unhappy United failed to sign a midfielder in the transfer window as he continues to struggle on a proactive partnership.
Failure to address the imbalance in the centre of the pitch has already had disastrous consequences, with the pressure mounting on the Reds boss after five wins from 11 games.
Sources say there was agreement within the club that a winger and a centre-back should be prioritised in the summer. United bought Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane before the sensational re-signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Solskjaer has used seven different midfield combinations since the season started but remains reliant on the partnership of Scott McTominay and Fred, often derided by some supporters. Neither started in the 4-2 battering by Leicester on Saturday.
United held exploratory discussions with the representatives of Eduardo Camavinga but discovered the France international preferred to move to Spain and he joined Real Madrid on deadline day.
West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice was deemed unattainable due to his £100m valuation and the length of his contract, which runs until 2024.
Amid an emphasis on top-tier additions, the United recruitment department was, therefore, unable to identify an attainable target without compromising United’s budget. The Reds were linked with Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka in the German media, but that was a tactic during contract negotiations in order to obtain a higher salary for the player, who signed an extension until 2026 last month. United quickly denied reports they were interested in Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco.
The club also did not receive a single serious offer for Paul Pogba, so were unable to justify the expense of a marquee midfield signing when the department was already teeming with players.
McTominay and Nemanja Matic agreed new contracts last year, when United signed Donny van de Beek, and Fred has been a regular Premier League starter this season. Andreas Pereira and James Garner are out on season-long loans.
United have invested £461.3m in transfer fees on 14 players during Solskjaer’s tenure.