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Manchester United host Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday (March 19) in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Erik ten Hag’s team will look to go all the way in the tournament, having won the EFL Cup this season.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils are trailing Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Kim Min-jae. Elsewhere, the Old Trafford outfit have put two defenders up for sale this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on March 19, 2023.
Manchester United trailing Tottenham in Kim Min-jae race
Transfer insider Ben Jacobs reckons Tottenham Hotspur are leading Manchester United in the race to sign Kim Min-jae.
The South Korean has become a first-team regular with Napoli since arriving last summer and has impressed with his performances. The Red Devils are among the clubs expected to fight for his signature this summer.
However, speaking to Team Talk, Jacobs said that the presence of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez could hurt the Old Trafford outfit in the race for Kim Min-jae.
“Manchester United are in a difficult position with that type of player because he sees himself as a starting centre-back, and they’ve obviously got Martinez and Varane there. But there’s other teams that are looking to drop somebody straight into their starting lineup,” said Jacobs.
He added:
“Tottenham are another club that have scouted the player, and they would be looking to bring in a starting centre-back, as with Liverpool as well.”
Jacobs added that the South Korean could prefer a move to Spurs and Liverpool over Manchester United.
“I think that that would give those two clubs a slight advantage over Manchester United, because if Erik ten Hag is going to play a back four and Varane and Martinez are fit, then it becomes extremely difficult to persuade a player in the form and with the potential of Kim Min-jae to go to Old Trafford over those two other clubs. Especially when you consider that he’s not an 18-year-old,” said Jacobs.
He continued:
“He’s 26 years of age, so he will want regular and immediate game time. The other thing to point out in all of this is just that he only joined Napoli in July. So as a consequence, he’s played less than 35 games for the club at the time of recording.”
Kim Min-jae has made 34 appearances across competitions this season for Napoli, scoring two goals and setting up another.
Defensive duo up for sale
Manchester United are ready to offload Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof this summer, according to Football Insider.
The Red Devils are likely to bolster their options in central defence at the end of the season. However, Ten Hag wants to offload some of his current crop to clear space for new arrivals. Maguire and Lindelof have been identified as surplus to requirements.
Both defenders have found game time tough to come by at Old Trafford this season. With Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez forging a solid pairing at the back, Maguire and Lindelof have dropped down the pecking order.
The Englishman has appeared 23 times across competitions this season, while Lindelof has played 21 games. Neither are likely to be at Manchester United next season.
Erik ten Hag trusts Anthony Martial
Erik ten Hag has hinted that Anthony Martial could be part of his future plans at Manchester United. The French striker has endured another injury-ravaged season. With his contract set to run out in less than 18 months, he's linked with a departure from Old Trafford this summer.
However, speaking to the press, Ten Hag said that he believes in the 27-year-old and is working to help Martial get fit.
“I don’t think it is the right moment to be the case. I believe in him; every time he is available, he really contributes to the team performance; the level of the team is upgrading when he is available. We are working with him to get fit and be available,” said Ten Hag.
He added:
“Every person is different – you have to treat everyone differently. This process, you have to be careful. I do everything with a strategy behind it to get him available.”
The French striker has missed a whopping 32 games this season with various injuries.
