"They want to wait and see what's best" - Fabrizio Romano confirms Manchester United rejected chance to sign 22-year-old midfielder in January

As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United turned down the opportunity to sign Marseille's Boubacar Kamara in the last few days of the January transfer window.

Kamara, who has been at Marseille since the age of five, initially started out as a central defender. He has now established himself as one of Ligue 1's best young central defensive midfielders.

Kamara is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. He has been linked with many Premier League clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester United.

Reportedly, United were offered the chance to sign him in the last few days of the winter transfer window. However, they didn't do so, as interim manager Ralf Rangnick didn't want to invest in a player the club's next manager may not want.

Interestingly, an option to buy were not included in the deals of two players - Anthony Martial (Sevilla) and Donny van de Beek (Everton) - United sent out on loan this winter. That means the two players will return to Old Trafford at the end of the season.

During a recent episode of his Here We Go podcast, Romano said the following about United's pursuit of Kamara:

“Manchester United were offered the opportunity to sign Boubacar Kamara in the last days of the window, but they turned down this chance because they will invest more money for the new manager. They want to wait and see what’s best.”

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Will Manchester United regret not signing a central defensive midfielder in January?

Despite a busy summer window, where they brought in Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Varane and Jadon Sancho, United have underwhelmed this season.

Currently fourth in the Premier League standings, they trail league leaders Manchester City by 19 points, albeit with a game in hand. In the FA Cup, they face Middlesbrough on Friday (4 February) for a place in the fifth round. Meanwhile, in the Champions League, United will lock horns with Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16, with the first leg on 23 February.

A central defensive midfielder is arguably one of Manchester United's single biggest requirements. However, the club didn't address the same in January. Rangnick has instead relied on the resurgent Scott McTominay in recent games. Meanwhile, Nemanja Matic is long past his prime, while Fred is inconsistent and lacks the attributes to play in a single pivot.

Another player they were linked to in January was Amadou Haidara. The Old Trafford hierarchy instead opted to take a patient approach, and will look to bring in a central defensive midfielder in the summer. They were also reportedly linked with West Ham United's Declan Rice, but nothing materialised.

Rice remains a transfer target in the summer. However, the England international is set to cost at least £100 million.

It remains to be seen if the absence of a quality defensive midfielder derails United's campaign, with the club realistically in contention in only two competitions.