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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag rejected the chance to sign former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum before he moved to AS Roma, according to Sky Sports.
Manchester United have made three major additions to their squad during the ongoing transfer window. They have roped in Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen for a combined fee of around £65 million.
The Red Devils are now looking to bolster their options in midfield before the window closes this month. They agreed to a deal worth €85 million with Barcelona to sign priority target Frenkie de Jong last month, but have not been able to get the transfer across the line.
There are suggestions that Ten Hag's side have turned their attention towards other targets, with Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic said to be one of them. They are also working on a deal to sign Adrien Rabiot from Juventus.
It has now emerged that Manchester United could have signed Champions League winning midfielder Wijnaldum before he moved to Roma. The Netherlands international was willing to move to Old Trafford, according to the aforementioned source.
However, the Premier League giants did not pursue a deal for the former Liverpool star after Ten Hag turned down the opportunity. The 31-year-old has since joined Roma on an initial loan deal.
The Serie A club have reportedly paid Paris Saint Germain (PSG) a loan fee of €5 million to secure his services. They also have the option to make the move permanent for €8 million.
Wijnaldum plied his trade at Liverpool for five years before joining PSG on a free transfer last summer. He helped the Reds win four trophies, including the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, during his time with them.
However, things did not go according to plan for the Dutchman after he swapped Liverpool for PSG. He made 38 appearances for the Parisians last term, contributing directly to six goals, but struggled to cement his place in their starting XI.
Manchester United and Liverpool fail to win Premier League openers
The Red Devils played their first competitive match under Ten Hag last Sunday (August 7). However, the match did not go according to plan for them as they succumbed to a 1-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
Liverpool also had a disappointing start to their 2022-23 Premier League campaign. They were held to a 2-2 draw by newcomers Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday (August 6). Club-record signing Darwin Nunez opened his Premier League account for the Reds, scoring the equalizer in the 64th minute and assisting the club's second equalizer in the 80th minute.
