With Ralf Rangnick in interim charge it always seemed unlikely that Manchester United would make any signings in the January transfer window despite Denis Zakaria being available.
The Reds have been consistently linked with the Swiss international and fellow Bundesliga midfielder Amadou Haidara during this month.
But a move for neither has come to fruition and it looks like United are set to miss out on the Gladbach midfielder, who is out of contract in the summer.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Italian giants Juventus look set to sign the 25-year-old.
With our next permanent manager remaining unknown the club have opted against making any signings in the winter market.
But for €5m it seems that United have potentially missed the trick in not pursuing Zakaria.
A report from The Athletic recently claimed United’s scouts were not convinced Zakaria was the right player, and instead have an eye on Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Having our eyes fixed on long-term targets isn’t a surprise, but with a cut-price option seemingly available to be snapped up, United could and maybe should have altered their approach.
The move would have made even more sense if Donny van de Beek leaves before the close of the window.
Although Paul Pogba is set to return, United still have a glaring hole in midfield which is a natural quality defensive midfielder.
Nemanja Matic plays that role but he doesn’t carry the same aura he once did when he was in his prime.
Scott McTominay and Fred are more box-to-box midfielders who both possess different qualities, but again are not natural defensive midfielders who sit in front of the defence.
Back-to-back Premier League wins prior to the international break have built some momentum under Rangnick, but the signing of Denis Zakaria could have helped the club kick on as we enter the crucial phase of the season.
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