Manchester United reportedly end their interest in two free agents following the recent arrivals of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
Manchester United have reportedly ended their interest in defenders Mario Hermoso and Marcos Alonso following the recent arrivals of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
After spending around £52m to recruit 18-year-old Leny Yoro from Lille earlier this summer, manager Erik ten Hag was keen to bolster his defence further with the additions of two familiar faces from his days as Ajax boss.
Indeed, the Red Devils have spent an initial £38.5m to sign De Ligt and an initial £15m to bring in Mazraoui, with both players making the move to Old Trafford from Bayern Munich.
The defensive pair moved to Old Trafford last week and just a few days later were selected in the matchday squad for Man United’s narrow 1-0 win over Fulham in their opening Premier League game of the new season last Friday.
Mazraoui was handed his full debut and impressed at right-back for 81 minutes until he was replaced by centre-back De Ligt in the closing stages, while fellow new recruit Joshua Zirkzee came off the bench to score the match-winner three minutes from time.
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Man United cool Hermoso, Alonso interest
With just under two weeks remaining of the summer transfer window, it is understood that Man United are looking at ways to bolster their squad further.
A report from The Athletic claims that Red Devil executives met with former Atletico Madrid defender Hermoso last week to discuss a potential transfer to the Premier League.
However, it is now understood that Man United have opted against making a move for the 29-year-old, as they have decided to pursue other targets.
Hermoso is currently a free agent after turning down a contract extension at Atletico, where he made 174 appearances in all competitions over a five-year period.
The report also states that Marco Alonso, another free agent who left Barcelona at the end of June, has been discussed by Man United, but they will not be making a move for the ex-Chelsea left-back.
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What transfer business could still be done at Man United?
Having signed three defenders and a centre-forward so far this summer, Man United are known to be keen to strengthen their options in midfield, with Paris Saint-Germain‘s Manuel Ugarte believed to be among their top targets.
Man United’s latest bid for Ugarte, who was left out of the PSG squad for last Friday’s Ligue 1 opener against Le Havre, is said to have fallen short of the French club’s €60m (£51.1m) asking price.
Should the Red Devils fail in their pursuit of Ugarte, they could turn their attention to Burnley‘s Sander Berge, who is valued in the region of £30m by the Championship outfit.
Another midfield option is Sofyan Amrabat, who spent last season on loan at Old Trafford from Fiorentina where his future is thought to be uncertain.
Man United’s eagerness to sign a new midfielder could depend on whether they agree to sell Scott McTominay, who has recently been linked with a move to Fulham and Serie A side Napoli.