Manchester United are hoping that they can strike another deal with FC Barcelona for Marcus Rashford and Trabzonspor for Andre Onana. Both players have now seen their loan deals for this past season expire, and a destination needs to be determined for the next term. Neither Rashford or Onana are part of the plans at Old Trafford. Elsewhere Manuel Ugarte, Josh Zirkzee and Altay Bayindir could all be sold outright to another team, if the right offer comes in.
Let’s go in more detail on all of these situations. (For part one of today’s Man United Transfer Talk, go here)
Going Back Out on Loan to Sell?
Marcus Rashford, Andre Onana
Rashford wants to stay at Barcelona, and the feeling is mutual. Plus United really want to get Rashford’s wages off-the-books. Actually, they might be too desperate to offload his contract, and Barca are reportedly using that to their advantage. The Catalan Club are trying to get the best deal possible if/when they exercise the buy option in their loan deal.
But at least they found a fit this time, as the Aston Villa loan didn’t work out.
As for Onana, we went in depth on his situation in a previous post yesterday.
Could Be Gone if the Price is Right:
Manuel Ugarte, Altay Bayindir, Joshua Zirkzee
Let’s start with Ugarte, as it would be a surprise if he’s still at the club come deadline day. He doesn’t seem to fit in too well at Old Trafford, and his form has dropped since he left OSG. clubs said to be keen on him include Galatasarary and Ajax.
As for Bayindir, the backup keeper is reportedly drawing interest in Turkey, with Besiktas said to be the most likely destination for him.
And then finally with Zirkzee, well, he also flopped at United and he’s far out of favor right now. A return to Italy could be in the cards for him, as there are reports of Serie A clubs showing interest in him.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.