This week saw one of this year’s longest-running Manchester United transfer sagas officially come to an end.
Michael Olise, the man reportedly identified early on as the ideal addition to reinforce the right-hand side of Erik ten Hag’s attack, sealed his move to Bayern Munich after the German giants riggered the £45 million release clause in his Crystal Palace contract.
There was a moment a few months ago when the chances of Olise ending up at Old Trafford appeared higher than the chances of him not doing so.
Not only was Olise a boyhood Manchester United fan, per Football London, he also aced his audition when scoring twice during Palace’s dazzling 4-0 thrashing of Ten Hag’s beleaguered side in May.
So what happened? Why were United not at the front of the queue to trigger his release clause?
Manchester United target Michael Olise joins Bayern
To explain, since those Olise reports first emerged, both Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo made quite the impression on the right wing.
Then, when United’s need for reinforcements up front, at centre-half, at left-back and in midfield became apparent, that pushed a new right-winger well down the list of priorities.
What’s more, United were never really in any position to make a move before getting Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood off the wage bill.
Now, Olise is officially a Bayern player.
That does not mean, however, that United won’t still end up with a new winger in their ranks before the September deadline.
The Sun reports that Man United are now looking to add Rennes wonderkid Desire Doue to their ranks ‘immediately’, the club’s president confirming interest from Europe’s big guns.
Reportedly valued at £35 million, 19-year-old Doue feels like potentially a better fit for this United side too. A
s emphasised by the pursuits of Jarrad Branthwaite, Joshua Zirkzee and the right-footed left-back Ferdi Kadioglu, versatility is a key attribute the Red Devils are looking out for.
And while Olise played exclusively on the right at Palace, the tricky Doue has featured on either fank and even through the middle in Rennes colours.
Rennes say no Red Devils talks yet
Speaking for the first time during the beginning of their pre-season preparations, Rennes sporting director Frederic Massara broke his silence on Doue’s future.
Via Ouest France, Massara insists that ‘there are no discussions at the moment with other clubs’ for the France Under 23 international.
That is probably going to change pretty soon, however.
The Sun appear to be of the opinion that Man United will make their move sooner rather than later.
Confirmation of Mason Greenwood’s £27 million move to Marseille could potentially free up the funds required to test Rennes’ resolve.
Competition will not be in short supply, however. Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and, of course, Chelsea are all in the mix too.
Nemanja Matic played alongside Doue during his brief and unhappy spell at Rennes in the first half of the campaign before moving on to Lyon.
“In my entire career, I’ve never played in such a young team, with players at 19 or 20 years old,” Matic, who joined Man United from Chelsea in a £40 million deal during the Jose Mourinho days, tells the Ligue 1 website.
“It’s always interesting to see how they progress. Desire has great potential.”
- READ MORE: Manchester United confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
