Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United is starting to show signs of life, and their latest stance on Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford hints that Ineos are smelling a golden opportunity in January.
The January transfer window is generally not one for fireworks and wholesale changes, and is mostly about fine-tuning the edges of the squad.
Man Utd signed Patrick Dorgu as an emergency measure last January, and Ruben Amorim has already made it clear that the days of short-term fixes are gone.
This is why their flexible stance on Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund hints that something major might be happening behind the scenes at Old Trafford for January.
Man Utd’s stance on Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund
Both Rashford and Hojlund are Man Utd players as it stands, but it is a matter of when, and not if, that changes in the future.
Rashford’s wish to stay at Barcelona has already been made public by the player himself, while Hojlund has found a new lease of life in Naples.
The Danish striker’s case is straightforward because Napoli’s option to buy will surely turn into an obligation because they will qualify for the Champions League.
Rashford’s case is more difficult since Barcelona can simply refuse to trigger the buy option, but the player himself is leaving no stone unturned to avoid that scenario.
United in Focus can now exclusively report that Man Utd are open to selling both players to their loan clubs in January itself, instead of waiting till the summer when their options come into force.
They won’t negotiate a lower fee for either in exchange for getting the money early, but if Napoli or Barcelona want to make it permanent in January, they’d welcome that possibility.
That is not the stance of a club relaxed about potential incomings in January.
Man Utd could be readying a January transfer splash
If United are so eager about getting money in January that they are willing to forego a potential FFP boost by changing the financial year in the summer, it only hints at one thing.
The club could have identified a player they want to go for in January, and since they are no longer in the business of signing players on short-term loans, he could be a building block.
The likes of Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba are the dream targets, but both names can safely be ruled out for a January move because they are too important for their teams.
Murmurs over the name of Conor Gallagher continue, and after seeing a loan bid rejected for him in the summer, United might look at him as the ideal partner for whoever they sign in the summer as their marquee name.
The money from the sales of Hojlund and Rashford coming earlier than expected could see them land someone like Gallagher in January, a player who could be the difference between finishing in Conference League spots or getting a Champions League place.
He will not need any time to get used to the league either, which has been a big thing for Ineos. Something is happening behind the scenes at the club, and a January surprise can’t be completely ruled out now.
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