Manchester United, along with the rest of most global football, are off indefinitely, so let’s do some transfer talk instead. If there’s one thing that can survive a global pandemic, it’s transfer rumors. In fact, the rumor mill can probably survive any type of apocalytpic event.
With that in mind, let’s take a spin through the Manchester United related rumor mill, starting with German international Timo Werner. (For today’s MUFC news items round up go here)
He’s been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool FC, but both Manchester clubs are reportedly willing to trigger his release clause, in the neighborhood of €55 million, as well.
The problem is that the summer transfer window, as we know it, may not be the same once the coronavirus pandemic passes. That’s because some teams in the first two tiers of German football may not be fiscally solvent enought to still exist.
RB Leipzig Sporting Director Markus Krosche articulated all of the uncertainty in an interview with Sport1:
“We can’t say how the transfer market will develop. We are starring into a very foggy crystal ball. We don’t know how our resources will be and what options other clubs might have.”
“England has similar problems like us. To bank on clocks running differently there just because they have investors is wrong.”
A wave of club bankrupcties could hit other countries in Europe as well.
“Investors also have economic constraints,” Krosche continued.
“The crisis does not only hit our branch but has a worldwide impact. Today, we are not able to gauge if the current numbers [transfer fees] are sustainable in six months from now.”
Elsewhere, former Liverpool and current FC Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho has been linked to United a bit here and there over recent years, but he doesn’t make sense for the club now, not with Bruno Fernandes around.
That’s the thinking of club legend Rio Ferdinand, and you can read more about what he had to say at this link.
Finally, a couple days ago we covered the transfer narratives surrounding Atletico Madrid attacker Thomas Lemar and the potential of his moving to United. There are two crucial factors that could determine if it happens or not and you can read those over at this link on Team Talk.
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.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com on Twitter here and his cat on Instagram at this link