Sir Alex Ferguson has reportedly held talks with Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman about the availability of Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.
Sir Alex Ferguson has reportedly held talks with Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman regarding the availability of Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.
Manchester United ended a disappointing season on a positive note by securing their 13th FA Cup title last week, beating cross-town rivals Manchester City 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.
However, despite the FA Cup victory, United’s domestic league and Champions League campaigns fell well below expectations, and significant changes are anticipated over the summer.
On Friday night, Ferguson, Manchester United’s director, was spotted at the private members’ club Oswald’s in Mayfair, where he was seen signing autographs alongside Freedman.
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Man United eyeing up three Palace players this summer
According to Football Insider, Ferguson held secret talks with Palace’s sporting director to discuss a potential deal for the 23-year-old Guehi, 25-year-old Eze and 22-year-old Olise.
The Palace trio have attracted the attention of several top clubs in recent months following a series of impressive performances for the Eagles.
The report adds that United are willing to sell the majority of their first-team players and bring in fresh faces once the transfer window opens, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims to overhaul the squad ahead of the 2024-25 season.
United conceded 85 goals in all competitions in 2023-24, while scoring goals also proved to be a problem, with the Red Devils emerging as the joint-lowest scorers among the top-10 sides in the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag‘s defence was also short-handed for the majority of the campaign, with Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane all sustaining injuries at various points in the season.
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Wholesale changes expected at Old Trafford for the 2024-25 season
Varane will leave Old Trafford this summer and will likely be followed by Jonny Evans, whose contract is set to expire this month.
Additionally, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Maguire’s futures at the club are still uncertain, while Tyrell Malacia missed the entire season due to injury and is still on the road to recovery.
As a result, signing a new centre-back is a priority for the Red Devils this summer, and it is understood that Guehi is high up on the Premier League giants’ shortlist of defensive targets.
Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood are among the United forwards expected to be moved on in the offseason, and Eze and Olise are believed to be considered potential attacking reinforcements this summer.
It is understood that Palace are looking for a fee of around £70m each to part ways with Eze and Olise in the upcoming transfer window.
Guehi’s current deal at Selhurst Park is set to expire in 2026, while Eze and Olise are under contract until 2027.