Erik ten Hag has been given a double lift amid his worrying situation at Manchester United, as the Red Devils have reportedly made ‘contact’ over the signing of striker Serhou Guirassy, while Arsenal and Fulham are no longer in the transfer race.
Ten Hag’s future as Man Utd manager is unclear following the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday. That saw Man Utd slip down to seventh in the Premier League, and they are already five points off the top four.
Man Utd are also on the brink of being knocked out of the Champions League, as they sit bottom of Group A with just four points. And they have failed to retain their Carabao Cup after being knocked out in just the fourth round of the competition by Newcastle.
On Tuesday, footballboast exclusively revealed that several senior Man Utd players have expressed concern about Ten Hag, and some of them are even expecting Sir Jim Ratcliffe to wield the axe when he arrives at Old Trafford. And Ratcliffe is eyeing Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi as a potential high-quality replacement.
It is clear that if the Dutchman manages to hold onto his job until January, then Man Utd will need to help him out with some big signings. And one such transfer may have just fallen into their laps.
Man Utd were recently named as potential suitors for Guirassy, the Guinea international enjoying a stunning campaign at Stuttgart. Indeed, his record stands at an incredible 17 goals in just 12 matches, which includes Bundesliga hat-tricks against Mainz and Wolfsburg.
Fulham were one of the first Premier League teams to be linked with Guirassy, while Arsenal have also been mentioned as a potential destination amid their hunt for a new centre-forward.
However, Man Utd are beginning to emerge as favourites for what would be a brilliant deal. According to Italian source Tuttomercatoweb, who take a look at Milan’s pursuit of Guirassy, Man Utd have recently held ‘contacts’ with Stuttgart as they attempt to win the race for the 27-year-old.
Man Utd putting up ‘fierce competition’ for classy striker
Milan are huge admirers of him but are at serious risk of missing out to Man Utd. Ten Hag’s side are providing them with ‘fierce competition’ for the signing, and also have the money to blow any contract bid from Milan out of the water.
German outlet Bild have also provided their information on Guirassy’s potential next move. They state that Arsenal are not expressing any interest in him, despite recent reports claiming that to be the case.
Instead, the Gunners are focused on potential deals for either Napoli’s Victor Osimhen or Brentford’s Ivan Toney, as they try to add a true goalscorer to their squad.
Arsenal are not the only team to be ruled out of proceedings, as it emerged on Tuesday that Fulham have admitted defeat and are now keen on landing Chelsea’s Armando Broja on loan.
Arsenal and Fulham dropping out of the hunt is clearly great news for Man Utd. Although, they do still have competition from the Premier League to snare Guirassy.
Bild add that Newcastle have set their sights on him as a potential replacement for Callum Wilson, who is now 31 and in the twilight years of his career.
Wherever Guirassy goes, it is clear that it will be an excellent signing for the club who wins the race. Due to a clause in his contract, Guirassy can leave Stuttgart for just €17.5million (£15m) in January.
Meanwhile, Man Utd ‘will be offered’ a £60m-rated winger if Jadon Sancho departs the club, as per reports.
