A disastrous start to the season meant Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United came to an end last month with Ruben Amorim set to replace him in the coming days.
And plenty of the Dutchman’s signings are expected to be moved on with the Portuguese tactician set to play in a different style to what has been the norm at the club for quite a few seasons now.
He plans to use three at the back and play with wing-backs instead of traditional full-backs and wingers. And while the Red Devils have quite a few options at the back, both wing-back positions could be tricky to fill.
Whether the likes of Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford will offer enough defensive discipline or whether Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui can handle the additional attacking load remains to be seen.
New formation, new player
There are also doubts regarding the long-term futures of both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia owing to their injury history.
And if the aforementioned options do not work out, the club might be forced to dip into the transfer market. Recent reports have suggested Geovany Quenda could be off the menu, but Fichajes have revealed an economical solution.
They have claimed that Galatasaray’s Yunus Akgün is being eyed by the 20-time English league champions with the the Turk capable of playing on either flank, as either a traditional winger or as a wing-back.
His last two appearances in the Europa League have come at left wing-back and he even scored a stunner against Tottenham Hotspur in their 2-1 win.
Last season, he helped Leicester City earn promotion to the Premier League and has since become a regular for the Istanbul giants, even earning comparisons with Real Madrid star Arda Guler.
The 24-year-old has six goals, including a goal in every Europa League game this season. And the Old Trafford side are at the forefront of the queue to sign the Turkiye international.
“Yunus Akgün , one of Galatasaray ‘s star players , has begun to attract the attention of international clubs, and Manchester United seem to be at the forefront of the race to sign him.
Akgün interest
“This season, the young winger has shown consistency and maturity in his game, characteristics that are often lacking in players of his age.
“Manchester United, in their process of renewing their squad, could find in him a creative profile that fits perfectly into Rúben Amorim’s attacking scheme.”
The left-footed star has a market value of €6.5 million as per Transfermarkt but the Cimbom will expect to earn a lot more from his sale.
But with his current deal valid until 2026, if Galatasaray cannot agree a new deal, he might be available for a cut-price fee and United could pounce.
Feature image Ahmad Mora via Getty Images
Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
