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Manchester United are preparing to welcome Charlton to Old Trafford on Tuesday (January 10) in the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup. New manager Erik ten Hag will be eager to pick up a win to improve his chances of winning his first piece of silverware at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, the Dutchman has been promised a new striker this summer, according to acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. Elsewhere, former Red Devils striker Louis Saha has advised the club to sign Edouard Mendy if David de Gea leaves.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on January 10, 2023:
Erik ten Hag promised summer striker move, says Fabrizio Romano
Manchester United have promised Erik ten Hag a new world-class striker this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Red Devils are yet to sign a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Old Trafford in November. The Premier League giants are likely to bring in a short-term option this month to help them get through the season.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Sesko and Harry Kane could be options for Manchester United this summer.
“For sure, Man United are focused on summer more than January; in the summer they have to go for an important striker. It’s impossible to make names now also because (it) depends on the club sale situation, but they always told Ten Hag about plan to invest on new striker in summer 2023,” wrote Romano.
He continued:
“In terms of specific targets, it depends on too many factors. Victor Osimhen is involved in Serie A race with Napoli; Benjamin Sesko has already signed as Leipzig player; Harry Kane will be in talks with Spurs to decide his future, and Antonio Conte’s future will be important too.”
Kane has appeared 26 times across competitions for Tottenham Hotspur this season, scoring 17 goals and setting up three more.
Louis Saha advises Manchester United to sign Edouard Mendy
Louis Saha reckons Manchester United should replace David de Gea with Edouard Mendy if the Spaniard leaves in the summer. De Gea is in the final six months of his contract at Old Trafford and is locked in talks to extend his stay.
Speaking to BoyleSports, Saha spoke highly of the Spaniard but said Mendy has the ability to fill De Gea's boots.
“De Gea is still right at the top level, but of course making mistakes like he did against Everton is never good. Over the years, De Gea has done tremendous performances to save the team, and he deserves the time and credit for that,” said Saha.
He added:
“If De Gea doesn’t sign a new contract, then a move for Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy would make perfect sense. He has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world the last few years, and I’m not sure what happened.”
De Gea has appeared 24 times across competitions for the Red Devils this season and has registered 12 clean sheets.
Wout Weghorst close to joining Red Devils, says Ryan Taylor
Wout Weghorst is edging closer to Manchester United, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.
The Dutch forward is currently on loan with Besiktas from Burnley and is a target for Ten Hag this month. The Dutch manager wants a new striker to take over from Cristiano Ronaldo and has zeroed in on his compatriot.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor said that the Turkish side have already identified Vincent Aboubakar as Weghorst’s replacement.
“It seems so far from the discussions between Weghorst’s representatives, and also what Besiktas are sort of saying, that the deal is very much viable and possible because they’re already looking at re-signing Vincent Aboubakar as a potential replacement,” said Taylor.
Weghorst has appeared 18 times across competitions for Besiktas this season, scoring nine goals and registering four assists.
