Manchester United underperforming
It has been a tough campaign for the Red Devils, with Ralf Rangnick having replaced the underperforming Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last month.
His reign has got off to a solid if unspectacular start, with 1-0 wins over both Norwich and Crystal Palace as well as a 1-1 draw with Young Boys in the Champions League.
Enjoy all of our Goal of the Month winners from 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ so far! ??#MUFC pic.twitter.com/sPyT9itQIv
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 18, 2021
However, they remain sixth in the Premier League, and a whopping 17 points behind league leaders Manchester City, although they do have two games in hand. Scruffy wins over lower league opposition will not get them to where they planned on being this campaign, where expectations ramped up following the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.
As a result, it could be a busy Manchester United in the January transfer window, with one position top of Rangnick’s wishlist.
Rangnick targets a defensive midfielder
Now, as per a report in the Manchester Evening News, it is a defensive midfielder that Rangnick is seeking come the winter transfer window opening.
The club, formerly thought to be unwilling to back the boss in the mid-season window, are now ready to sanction a move for a midfielder.
And, in the form of Leipzig midfielder Amadou Haidara, one man’s name keeps coming to the fore. However:
RB Leipzig midfielder Amadou Haidara, formerly of Red Bull Salzburg, has become of interest to United due to Rangnick’s eight-year stint as sporting director of the Red Bull group but Haidara is due to be on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Mali next month.
As a result of his international commitments, it is unclear whether he will be the man they pursue, but they could certainly use another central addition.
