Manchester United may need to wheel and deal in attack, and that could see something of an exchange involving Alejandro Garnacho.
Ruben Amorim already has one attacking signing on board as he refreshes the Manchester United squad.
Matheus Cunha has joined United from Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Jason Wilcox and co are looking to wheel and deal.
United are pushing to sign Bryan Mbeumo while the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony are all available.
Speculation in Italy suggested Juventus could look to sign Sancho in a potential swap for Dusan Vlahovic or Douglas Luiz.
That is not the only exchange rumour emerging right now, with Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku on the Old Trafford radar.
Manchester United would lose one key attribute with Alejandro Garnacho swap
Reports on Monday suggested that United had made contact over Nkunku, in the hope of signing the Chelsea forward.
The Telegraph then suggested that Chelsea want Alejandro Garnacho as a new option out wide.
While a direct swap was ruled out, we could see two separate deals with Garnacho heading to West London and Nkunku joining United in exchange.
United may be keen to wheel and deal, but swapping Nkunku for Garnacho would see Amorim lose so much pace from his attack.
Garnacho was often the only threat in transition last season, with the Argentinian showing the desire to attack defenders in 1v1 situations.
Garnacho’s end product may be frustrating at times, but the pace he offers should not be overlooked in a United side often lacking in speed.
Nkunku was never particularly rapid at RB Leipzig, but used smart movement behind defenders and quick feet around the box to cause mayhem.
Injuries have really hit Nkunku over the years, and his athleticism has suffered as a result.
Nkunku looks half a step slower than he did at RB Leipzig, and bringing him in to replace Garnacho would only serve to raise questions about the speed of this United side.
This summer window should be about adding more speed across the pitch, but losing Garnacho and bringing in Nkunku would be a clear downgrade in the pace department.
Christopher Nkunku’s versatility may appeal to United
A move for Nkunku would not be a complete disaster, but losing a player with big potential in Garnacho to bring in Nkunku, who hasn’t been in form for a while now, would be a surprising move.
One positive with Nkunku would be his versatility, as the Frenchman has played as a number 10 and as a striker.
The numbers are pretty encouraging, with Nkunku posting impressive numbers in both positions.
Transfermarkt’s data shows Nkunku has bagged 65 goals and 42 assists in 123 games as an attacking midfielder or ‘second striker’.
As a striker, Nkunku has scored 11 times in 38 games while also notching two assists.
Amorim may fancy the flexibility of deploying Nkunku in either role, but would have to accept a loss of speed in his attacking options should a Chelsea exchange take place.
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