Manchester United have now thundered into the race for a “world-class” £84m forward, having expressed a concrete interest in securing his signature in the summer, according to a report.
Man Utd set sights on winger to replace Garnacho
While Man United managed to sign off the 2024-25 campaign on a high note, securing a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford, the Europa League final defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao will remain fresh in the memory for supporters.
As such, it is difficult to be too positive ahead of the summer, with the Red Devils’ summer transfer plans likely to be affected by the lack of Champions League football, and Gary Neville has expressed concerns they may choose to cash-in on some of their young players to raise funds.
Neville said: “I know it’s become a thing now whereby people sell players from their academy to facilitate PSR and financial fair play, but if Manchester United start to sell academy players to raise funds to bring in other players, I think that’s the thin end of the wedge.
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ByDominic Lund
Alejandro Garnacho is one of the youth products that could be on his way out, with Arsenal now being contacted over the possibility of signing the Argentine, and if the 20-year-old does end up being sold, it is likely a replacement will be necessary.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Man United may now have just the player in mind, having thundered into the race for AC Milan star Rafael Leao, who is looking increasingly likely to exit the San Siro this summer, with a £84m fee being touted.
United have now registered a concrete interest in signing Leao, who could be on his way out due to the lack of European football on offer at Milan, with Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Barcelona also keen.
"World-class" Leao could be Garnacho upgrade
It is unclear whether the 25-year-old would be interested in a move to Old Trafford, given that Ruben Amorim’s side will not be playing in Europe next season either, but the allure of playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs could be tempting for the winger.
Should the Red Devils manage to get a deal over the line, there are plenty of signs he could be an upgrade on Garnacho at left-wing, having outperformed the starlet across a number of key statistics for wingers over the past year. Leao also loves current Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes, having called him a “maestro” in the past while on international duty together.
Statistic per 90
Rafael Leao
Alejandro Garnacho
Non-penalty goals
0.32
0.20
Assists
0.26
0.17
Successful take-ons
2.83
1.31
Having also been lauded as “world-class” by football writer Carlo Garganese in the past, Leao could be a fantastic signing for Man United this summer, but a move to Old Trafford could be a tough sell after the Europa League final defeat.