Manchester United’s hopes of doing a deal for midfielder Amadou Haidara appear to be growing. The Times had previously reported Ralf Rangnick’s interest in a deal.
The Sun report Rangnick has been in contact with Haidara’s agent Volker Struth, and a deal is described as ‘all but done’.
United supporters may recognise Struth’s name from the Toni Kroos transfer saga back in 2014, when a deal was lined up by David Moyes and not followed up on by Louis van Gaal.
Haidara has a £33 million release clause in his RB Leipzig contract, which makes a deal remarkably simple from United’s end.
While he could be heading to the African Cup of Nations with Mali in January, this is not considered a major hurdle, The Sun report.
Rangnick is a big fans of Haidara, having signed him for RB Leipzig from Red Bull Salzburg. Quoted by Bundesliga.com at the time of the deal, the United interim boss described the midfielder as an ‘absolutely exceptional’ talent.
The right time for change
United’s midfield needs reinforcement, with Paul Pogba’s future unclear and Nemanja Matic likely to be moved on at the end of the season too.
Haidara has been at Leipzig since 2019 and may need a fresh challenge, and United would certainly provide one. At 23, he is at a good age to make the move to the Premier League.
It is also a time of change at RB Leipzig, with manager Jesse Marsch fired at the weekend, the German club confirmed.
Haidara has made more than 100 appearances for Leipzig since his move and he is a player Rangnick knows will suit his system and can be further developed.
The midfielder scored in Leipzig’s 3-2 win over United last December in the Champions League.
A move for Haidara would be a sensible transfer for United to make, solidifying an area in need of fresh faces. Even if he heads to the AFCON right away, he will be worth the wait, and will provide United with a real boost over the final few months of the season.
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