The rebuild of Manchester United could definitely take some time, so get ready and dig your heels in for that. The upshot is that we should, at least in theory, have a blockbuster summer transfer window filled with many comings and goings.
With Manchester United linked to approximately 97,324 players already (although only one has actually been acquired), the time is right for some Red Devils transfer talk. In today’s second edition we begin with the latest on the reported Aaron Wan-Bissaka bargaining battle. (Go here for today’s first edition)
Crystal Palace really know just how much United needs to upgrade their back line. The London club is also well aware of how deep United’s pockets are.
According to the Daily Mail, United have already bid £50 million (Palace’s asking price) for him, but it wasn’t structured in the manner that they prefer. United bid £35m up front and £15m in add-ons, but Palace want to see £45m up front.
Supposedly AWB has already told his club that he would like to seize this opportunity to move up to a larger club, so maybe this transfer is more a matter of when than if.
Elsewhere, we have more developments on Paul Pogba, who told the media that he wants to leave to Old Trafford while on a promotional tour in the Far East over the weekend. There are widespread reports that United are willing to offer Pogba a major raise, to a WHOPPING £500,000-a-week in order to try and convince him to stay.
If this story is true, and if it happens, well, I think this tweet said it best.
Reports United are willing to offer Pogba 500k a week to keep him at the club. Sorry, if we do that we're finished. Never wanted a story to be more bullshit than this! Doubling the wages of a player who wants to leave to keep them it just all kinds of inept
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) June 17, 2019
If Pogba does indeed exit stage left, then one of the players who has consistently been linked to Old Trafford as a potential replacement is James Maddison of Leicester City. Given that United are thought to be the favorites in the battle to acquire his signature, they have to be on high alert now, given the comments he made saying he’s desperate to win trophies.
Unfortunately, winning trophies hasn’t exactly been United’s greatest quality as a football club since Sir Alex stepped down six years ago.
Finally, Romelu Lukaku has certainly dropped a few hints indicating his desire to leave, and we’ve also seen plenty of reports claiming that Antonio Conte would like to make him his very first signing at Inter Milan.
According to Lukaku’s international manager, Belgium’s Roberto Martinez, his former club player at Everton needs to leave United this summer.
“It is clear that he has to leave Manchester United,” Martinez told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
“It would be a good thing for both parties. It is now important that Romelu finds the right club.”
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.