Ten players who could join Man Utd in January

James Shearman

9 Jan 2022 14:42 GMT
5 min read

Declan Rice playing for West Ham in 2021/22 — © ProShots

Ralf Rangnick's primary task as Manchester United manager is to get the best out of the club's under-performing stars.

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However, the German is also set to make significant changes to the team Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left behind, meaning a high turnover of playing staff could be on the cards.

This is even more likely after it emerged in recent days that there are a number of divisions in the dressing room.

The 63-year-old's extensive knowledge of European football will come in handy, as players from across the continent are linked with a move to Old Trafford.

Here are the signings he’ll most likely look to make next month.

Declan Rice

Declan Rice had been linked with a £90 million move to Manchester United, or Chelsea, in last summer's transfer window.

Now, West Ham's asking price will have risen even further due to the Englishman's stellar 2021/22 campaign thus far.

But, signing Rice for such a remarkable fee would still prove to be excellent business given his age (22).

Kalvin Phillips

Alternatively, Rangnick could target Rice's international central midfield partner.

Kalvin Phillips is employed in a deeper role, for club and country, which would solve the United's biggest need.

Leeds' poor start to the Premier League season could tempt the 25-year-old to make a move.

Amadou Haidara

Another player that could be of huge use to Man Utd is young RB Leipzig midfielder Amadou Haidara.

Rangnick has certainly played his part in the young talent’s career to date, overseeing Haidara’s move to Red Bull Salzburg and then his next step up to the Bundesliga in 2019.

As such, the German tactician will know exactly what Haidara brings to the table and what he could offer a Man Utd midfield that is sorely lacking box-to-box talent.

Jude Bellingham

While Rangnick hasn't had any involvement in Jude Bellingham's career to date, he’ll undoubtedly know all about the talented Englishman.

The 18-year-old has already lit up the Bundesliga, becoming a key part of Borussia Dortmund's side over the last year.

Manchester United missed out on Bellingham last time round, a costly mistake, and will be keen to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Kieran Trippier

A long-term target of United's, Kieran Trippier could finally make his way to Old Trafford in January.

With plenty of experience in the Premier League, the right-back should fit seamlessly into the team from day one.

Add to that, real competition for Aaron Wan-Bissaka could be what the former Palace man needs to elevate his game to the next level after disappointing in recent months.

Trippier is wanted by a number of other Premier League clubs, including Newcastle.

Jules Kounde

Jules Kounde missed out on a move to Chelsea in the summer, and now Trevoh Chalobah's rise could mean the Blues' interest has cooled.

As such, United could be presented with the perfect opportunity to swoop in and steal one of Europe's best young talents.

Kounde would make an excellent all-French pairing with Raphael Varane.

Sven Botman

Another defender that could find his way on to Rangnick's transfer shortlist is Lille's Sven Botman.

The 21-year-old is into his second season in Ligue 1, and continues to impress with several links to Europe's elite teams.

A cheaper alternative to Kounde, Botman could be the way forward if CEO Ed Woodward is unwilling to spend big so soon after Solskjaer's summer spending spree.

Timo Werner

Who better to get Timo Werner back to his best than a man who worked with him at former club RB Leipzig?

It's fair to say the German forward has flopped, relative to the lofty expectations, in his time at Chelsea, and a move away from west London could suit both parties.

Thomas Tuchel might not want to sell one of his players to a domestic rival, but the right bid could be enough to lure the 25-year-old to the 'Theatre of Dreams'.

Karim Adeyemi

If the Red Devils are too late to convince Haaland to make the move to Manchester then they could instead turn their attention to Red Bull Salzburg forward Karim Adeyemi.

Since leaving Bayern Munich’s youth academy as a teenager, Adeyemi has developed into a bright prospect and is now top of the shopping list for a number of elite European sides including Dortmund and PSG.

But, rather than wait a few years and spend up to £100 million signing him from

say Dortmund, like Bellingham, Man Utd should use Rangnick’s insight and contacts to snap up the young striker now and embed him within the club’s first team.