Manchester United are now in full summer transfer window mode now. Yes, they have one more game to play, on Championship Sunday against already relegated Cardiff City, but it’s pretty meaningless as United are already officially demoted to UEFA Europa League next season.
Why not look ahead to the long and arduous rebuild? There are two names making a lot of waves in United transfer talk today, and both are central defenders. As you might have heard, United need big time upgrades at this position, and they have been trying quite hard to acquire those upgrades for some time.
We start with Diego Godin, the 33-year-old who announced just today that he is leaving Atletico Madrid for Inter Milan at the end of the season. Godin has been widely linked with a move to United in the past and today he revealed that he did in fact turn down a chance to play for Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.
‘The most beautiful phase of my career and my life comes to an end. I’m proud to have been a part of this club’s history. I’m very thankful,” Godin said at a very emotional, tear-filled press conference.
“I refused a Manchester United bid one year ago because I decided to stay at Atlético Madrid. ‘Now – one year later – it’s time to go.”
Godin leaves the Spanish capital after what will be his ninth year at the club.
Elsewhere we have another old transfer narrative being regurgitated again- Leicester City man Harry Maguire. Today’s news indicates that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be given the green light to restart pursuit of the young Englishman.
And the twist in the story- United could break club and perhaps world spending records in order to acquire this player that the Foxes don’t have any real interest in parting with. The Evening Standard reports that Liverpool centre back Virgil van Dijk, the reigning PFA Player of the Year, could be in danger of seeing his “world’s most expensive defender” status eclipsed.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets:Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, also contributes to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.