The mid November international break is certainly the perfect time to talk some transfer rumors, as the January window will be here before you know it. In this article we focus on Manchester United, and the defender position group in particular.
There is a whole lot of ground to cover so let’s dive right in, starting with Marcos Rojo.
The Argentine who has fallen out of favor at United will reportedly be made available this January transfer window, and that has put Wolves on alert according to the Birmingham Mail.
The article claims that Rojo had a chance to join the West Midlands outfit in the summer, but he turned it down, writing them off as just a “minor club.” He was also targeted by Everton, but the Toffees elected to sign Barcelona’s Yerry Mina instead. There are some reasons for Rojo to have had a change of heart though given that
a.) his career is currently going nowhere at United and
b.) Wolves are off to an impressive start this campaign, having taken 16 points from the first 12 matches.
Being promoted to the top flight just this season, they currently sit only three slots below United in the table; not too shabby. There are certainly worse outcomes possible for Rojo.
Another reportedly unsettled centre half who may be on his way out this January window is Eric Bailly. The Ivory Coast international is being targeted by both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, claims the Daily Record.
If Jose Mourinho is set to give up on his own centre back acquisition from 2016, then who could replace him? Well the Record’s Duncan Castles says it could be Napoli stalwart Kalidou Koulibaly.
There was a ton of media coverage of United’s ambitious quest to upgrade the central defender position this past summer transfer window, but in the end they failed massively in this regard. It’s also a clear signal that they aren’t very happy with Bailly, and maybe Koulibaly, a 27-year-old Senegalese international, could be the answer. For round one of today’s United transfer talk go to this link.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Lineups.com and Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.