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According to reports, Manchester United's newly-appointed interim manager Ralf Rangnick has identified RB Leipzig midfielder Amadou Haidara as his first transfer target.
Ralf Rangnick has worked with Haidara before when the German coach was with the Red Bull group at Leipzig. It can be said that the 23-year-old midfielder is the exact player profile Manchester United need right now.
Haidara plays as a central midfielder. He can operate either box-to-box or as a defensive midfielder, which has been an area of concern for Manchester United.
He is a powerful runner with the ball and has 16 goal contributions in 100 games for RB Leipzig. An example of his ability to carry the ball forward can be viewed below:
His release clause is reported to be around £33 million. If Ralf Rangnick decides to go for Haidara, it could be a great signing since United's other reported targets such as Declan Rice are much more expensive.
Also, with the likes of Paul Pogba and Donny van de Beek reportedly looking to leave Manchester United, the midfield position will need to be filled promptly.
It remains to be seen if Haidara will become Ralf Rangnick's first signing come January.
Manchester United hoping to turn fortunes around with the appointment of Ralf Rangnick
After finishing second in the 2020-21 season, Manchester United had reason to be optimistic ahead of the start of the new campaign. With the arrival of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo, that excitement reached its peak.
However, it has been anything but good news for the Red Devils since then. An extremely poor run of results sees them in eighth position in the Premier League table, 12 points behind league leaders Chelsea.
They were thrashed at Old Trafford by Liverpool and Manchester City. Moreover, United were even beaten 4-1 by Watford. The result saw them sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last week.
Manchester United have now appointed Ralf Rangnick as their interim manager until the end of the season. He will continue with United as a consultant after the end of the season.
United will hope that he can bring his managerial prowess to not only the current squad, but the club as a whole. From style of play to recruitment, Manchester United are looking to build a structure to return to the giddy heights they earlier reached in world football.
Ralf Rangnick is arguably the perfect man for the job. It will be interesting to see how he fares.
