All the hype that entered this summer transfer window at Manchester United has essentially fizzled. MUFC have been linked with approximately 45,329 players this silly season, but only one, Daniel James, has actually been signed.
Hopefully, there will be more signings to talk about between now and when camp opens up on July 1, but until then, here are some of the top trending news items and transfer narratives in the Manchester United online community on this Monday. Go here for part one of today’s MUFC news and transfer talk.
If there is going to be any real exciting action at Old Trafford this silly season, it all kind of hinges on what happens with Paul Pogba.
He’s the keystone, and if the club’s corporate types grant him his departure wish (reportedly manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also thinks it’s best the Frenchman move on), then perhaps a true squad makeover can actually occur this summer. Pogba has been linked to both Juventus and Real Madrid, two of the small handful of clubs that can actually afford him.
Paris Saint-Germain is another one, and today The Independent has news of a potential swap deal involving the two clubs, with Neymar going the other way.
Given how the Brazilian badly wants out of his current club (almost as much as Pogba wants out of his), this could make a ton of sense for everyone involved.
Actually, it makes so much sense that we doubt it’s actually going to happen.
The article states that an unwillingness from United to pay his wages could be the stumbling block.
Elsewhere, the Aaron Wan-Bissaka transfer saga has long grown tedious, but there have been multiple reports over the weekend stating that a deal closure is near. We’ll have to see about that, but The Guardian has a more encouraging report today.
The outlet states that both sides, following “an improved offer,” will meet today over the potential transfer of the Crystal Palace right back, adding that:
“the south London club had also been keen to cancel, or at least reduce, a sell-on clause inserted in the deal which took Wilfried Zaha back to Selhurst Park from United in January 2015.”
Finally, speaking of extremely tedious transfer narratives that have resulted in a whole lot of nothing- ESPN claims today that Romelu Lukaku is not prepared to hand in a formal transfer request, and therefore his exit from United, and a move to Inter Milan.
ESPN FC writes that “Inter are trying to negotiate a deal for the Belgium international with United holding out for a fee of around £80 million.”
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.