We’ve heard stories propagating the Antoine Griezmann going to Manchester United narrative pretty consistently for the past four or five months. Multiple news outlets have kept going with it, and it’s not just the tabloids. Your more conservative, less trigger-happy outlets have reported it too.
Who, besides the superstar Frenchman at Atletico Madrid, could be on their summer shopping list?
This is Manchester United, where they effectively print money. Even if they miss out on revenue from failing to qualify for UEFA Champions League, if indeed they do fall short, MUFC will still be raking in the cash, and they’ll have it bunches to throw around like a big timer this summer transfer window.
Jose Mourinho (who just famously said that the club could miss out on Champions League and they would still be fine) will have the chance to spend money like water pn acquiring new players. Perusing the back page headlines today, two names jump out.
There have been consistent links between Man United and Paris Saint Germain defender Marquinhos for the past couple years in multiple transfer windows.
Via the Manchester Evening News:
M.E.N. Sport understands the 22-year-old Brazil international is receptive to moving to the Premier League after a move to Barcelona fell through and United have made tentative enquiries.
United explored the possibility of signing Marquinhos last year but were dissuaded by his sizeable transfer fee and spent £30million on Eric Bailly from Villarreal to reinforce their central defence.
Marquinhos, who joined PSG from Roma in 2013, has just two years left on his contract but recently revealed talks have begun over a renewal.
In a related note, ESPN FC write that “United have been linked with Victor Lindelof, Jose Gimenez, Raphael Varane, Leonardo Bonucci and Michael Keane in recent weeks, so Marquinhos has some competition to overcome if he has his heart set on a move to Old Trafford.”
Elsewhere, United need to start seriously shopping for a Zlatan Ibrahimovic replacement (yes, there are United-PSG links everywhere in this posting) given that the 35 year old Swede suffered serious ligament damage that will keep him out until January.
Who can it be now? Well, the Mirror says the club are “closing in on Torino striker Andrea Belotti, but they will have to meet the £84million release clause inserted in the 23-year-old’s contract last December.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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