Man Utd complete loan signing of Sabitzer

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 1 Feb 2023 00:19 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United have completed the signing of Bayern Munich's Marcel Sabitzer on a six-month loan deal.

The Austrian international will help Man Utd solve their midfield crisis after they learned that Christian Eriksen is liable to miss much of the end of the season because of an ankle injury sustained in the FA Cup victory over Reading.

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United have been reticent to back up a big summer spend with a similar investment in the January transfer window, with the Glazer brothers planning on selling the club in the first half of '23.

As such, Man Utd have been forced to explore the loan market for players, which led them to sign Jack Butland from Crystal Palace and Wout Weghorst from Burnley.

Premier League sides, though, are only allowed two players on loan from English clubs and have been forced to look at the market abroad for options.

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The Red Devils had searched for loan possibilities at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG, according to reports, but they ultimately settled on Sabitzer, who has played 24 times for the club this season.

However, the 28-year-old has been peripheral to their plans almost since he arrived on a €15 million deal from RB Leipzig late in the summer 2021 transfer window.

What has Sabitzer said?

In Man Utd's official club statement, Sabitzer said: "Sometimes in life you have to make quick and important decisions. From the moment I heard about this opportunity I knew it was right for me. I am a competitive player; I want to win and help the club achieve its aims this season.

“I feel that I am at my peak as a player, and that I can contribute a lot of experience and energy to the squad. I am excited to start with my new team-mates and manager and to show my qualities to Manchester United fans.”

Is Sabitzer a good signing?

Bundesliga expert Ronan Murphy believes that Sabitzer could be an effective stop-gap signing for Man Utd – but only under certain conditions.

"Sabitzer is perfectly capable of filling the Eriksen void for Man Utd, but only if he recaptures his RB Leipzig form. He was one of Julian Nagelsmann's key players at the Red Bull Arena, but after moving to Munich, found it hard to displace Leon Goretzka beside Joshua Kimmich in midfield.

"He still has all the skills in his locker to be a key playmaker, and he's shown that recently when starring for Austria away from his Bayern Munich frustration."