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Manchester United will face Charlton Athletic at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday (January 10(. Erik ten Hag will look to continue his recent winning run as he seeks to win his first silverware since taking charge.
Meanwhile, former Red Devils defender Patrice Evra doesn't want Joao Felix at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that Wout Weghorst is eager to join the Premier League giants.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on January 9, 2023:
Patrice Evra advises Manchester United against Joao Felix move
Patrice Evra reckons Manchester United need a clinical striker more than Joao Felix at the moment.
The Red Devils are heavily linked with a move for the Atletico Madrid forward, who's likely to be on the move this month. The 23-year-old has been backed to be a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.
However, speaking to Betfair, Evra said that Manchester United need someone who can score more than 20 goals every season.
“He’s an excellent player, and if he’s not happy at Atletico, the Premier League will welcome him with open arms. We need to replace the 20 goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, so it’s logical that we need another attacker. We can play Martial, Garnacho and Rashford, but we need a killer, someone who lives for goals,” said Evra.
He added:
“I don’t care if they perform well, I just want them to score goals. That’s why I don’t think Joao Felix is the right type of player for United right now. I don’t want United to look beautiful. With players like Felix, people will say how beautiful we look with the way we play, I don’t care about that.”
He continued:
“I want us to look ugly and have a player like Filippo Inzaghi and have people saying ‘who the hell is this he can’t even dribble’ ,but at the end of the season, he’s scored more than 20 goals. Where will we find that kind of striker? That is the question.”
Felix has appeared 20 times across competitions for Los Rojiblancos, scoring five goals and setting up three more.
Wout Weghorst eager to join Manchester United, says Fabrizio Romano
Wout Weghorst is keen to join Manchester United this month, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Dutch forward is wanted on a temporary move at Old Trafford, with Ten Hag eager to bring in a No. 9 in January.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that the 30-year-old is among quite a few names the Red Devils are currently considering.
"Wout Weghorst is one of many players offered to Man United as smart, cheap option for January window. Ten Hag appreciates Weghorst, and so they are now exploring conditions of the deal with Besiktas, and Burnley also involved in this story because of the loan move agreed last summer. The player would be keen on the move,” said Romano.
He added:
“I think he can be a good short term option, but for sure, Man Utd need an important player in that position in the summer, in my opinion."
Weghorst is currently on loan to Besiktas from Burnley and has registered nine goals and four assists in18 games across competitions this season.
Erik ten Hag wants David de Gea stay
Erik ten Hag wants David de Gea to extend his stay at Manchester United, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.
The Spanish goalkeeper is in the final six months of his contract with the Red Devils. The two parties are locked in contract talks to facilitate a new deal.
Speaking recently, Bailey said that the 32-year-old will either sign a multi-year contract or leave for free.
“I think, from Ten Hag’s point of view, he’s more than happy to stick with De Gea. If De Gea is happy to take a drop in wages, he’s not going to get the same deal as he has now. I think that he’s either going to leave on a free transfer with United’s blessing, or he’s going to sign this multi-year contract, two or three years and then look at it again,” said Bailey.
He added:
“A couple of years, I think that’s where it’s gonna go. From what I’m told, they will not just take up the one-year option. De Gea doesn’t want that, as it stands. I don’t think United do. It’s either going to be a two or three-year deal or leave for free with United completely changing direction there.”
De Gea has appeared 24 times across competitions for Manchester United this season, registering 12 clean sheets.
