Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has green-lighted summer sales for defenders Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, Football Insider report.
THE LOWDOWN: OSIMHEN AND KIM
The Red Devils may well be busy in the transfer window once again this summer ahead of Ten Hag’s second season in charge.
They could also be under new ownership by the time the market opens, with both Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe stepping up their respective takeover bids by holding Old Trafford talks last week.
When it comes to possible signings, reports have suggested that the club are preparing a double swoop on Napoli this summer with moves for Victor Osimhen and defender Kim Min-Jae.
Those two additions could cost in the region of £143m, with Ten Hag now looking to make room and free up funds for their potential arrival.
THE LATEST: MAGUIRE AND LINDELOF UPDATE
Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke shared a transfer update he’s heard from Old Trafford in the last 48 hours. He stated that Ten Hag ‘wants a clearout of his current defenders in order to make space for summer arrivals’ and has given the green light to selling Maguire and Lindelof.
The reporter also said that ‘Kim is United’s first-choice defensive target this summer, with the Red Devils frequently scouting the 26-year-old this season.’
THE VERDICT: MAKES SENSE?
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been first choice under Tan Hag this season, with club captain Maguire and Lindelof making just five Premier League starts each during the current campaign.
They are on a combined £310,000-a-week salary at Old Trafford, with the pair among the 13 highest earners at the club. Therefore, you could argue that moving them on could be a wise move in order to free up space and finances for the Napoli pair.
Kim has been described as ‘the best defender in the world’ by Corriele dello Sport editor Ivan Zacharoni, who even said that he is more valuable to Napoli than Osimhen. The forward has been in brilliant form for the Serie A side this season, contributing to 30 goals in 29 games, so he could be the answer in the final third and Kim an excellent addition to rival Varane and Martinez.
So, selling two big earners in Maguire and Lindelof would make sense, especially if the club can win the race for Kim and Osimhen, making this one to watch ahead of the summer.
