Manchester United have walked into arguably the most important January transfer window in their history due to the current circumstances.
There’s a new manager in place, the current squad is going nowhere, the club is flailing about in an unexpected relegation narrative and the immediate future is dark.
Ruben Amorim accepted Man Utd’s harsh financial reality and no amount of cute accounting tricks can save United from a punishment if they are reckless now.
That only means one thing- the need to sell before buying but even that is problematic since United have showered their players with wages nobody else will match.
Amidst the doom and gloom, however, Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has made an exciting January transfer claim that could benefit United massively.
Ruud van Nistelrooy makes January transfer claim
In a parallel universe, Van Nistelrooy is the interim Man Utd manager till the end of the season and Ruben Amorim is overseeing a historic campaign at Sporting, having agreed a summer move to Old Trafford.
However, as things stand, the Dutchman is in charge of the club he beat twice in four games as interim manager, in the middle of a relegation battle, and Amorim is trying to keep United afloat.
It makes sense then that the two help each other out and if there’s a deal to be struck that is of mutual benefit, it’s fair to assume there won’t be much stopping it.
For his part, Van Nistelrooy has already opened the door to doing business with Man Utd in a statement that should come as a huge boost to United’s plans.
The Foxes manager said it’s a no-brainer to use network and contacts for strengthening the team, which means United can probably send a player or two there for match experience while simultaneously strengthening Leicester.
He said: “Of course, I’m looking at my network. Having played in a couple of countries and more clubs, it’s important to use my network as well for opportunities to strengthen the squad.
“We’ll look at all possibilities to help this team reach its targets. We’re looking everywhere.”
Man Utd have obvious candidate for Leicester move
While it goes without saying that United won’t be able to treat Leicester as a feeder club to station their young players, there is still an obvious candidate who stands to benefit both clubs and himself, if he moves.
Toby Collyer has been linked to Leicester before and his energy and combativeness could be a huge asset to the Foxes midfield, with the player also needing first-team minutes.
Besides Toby Collyer, it is unlikely that any player who United would want to loan is ready for a Premier League move, like Dan Gore, Ethan Wheatley, or Harry Amass.
Things could get more interesting if Leicester go down and Van Nistelrooy stays, in which case they could look at an arrangement like Frank Lampard had with Chelsea when he was the Derby County manager.
However, both parties would wish that doesn’t happen and Van Nistelrooy’s managerial reputation remains intact by keeping Leicester in the Premier League.
If a Man Utd loanee plays a pivotal part in making that happen, that’s the ideal case scenario.
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