Man Utd transfer latest: Cucurella or Bertrand to replace Shaw?

Stuart Telford

• 27 Aug 2023 12:08 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United are looking to sign an emergency left-back following injury to Luke Shaw, with Marc Cucurella and Ryan Bertrand among those linked with a move to Old Trafford.

Shaw was missing for United's 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday with the club confirming they expect him to sidelined for several months with a muscular injury.

With Tyrell Malacia also sidelined and Brandon Williams allowed to leave on loan to Ipswich, the right-footed Diogo Dalot deputised at left-back, but a medium-term solution is needed.

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Cucurella and Bertrand are two of the primary options.

The former has become surplus to requirements at Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino after joining in a £62 million deal from Brighton last August, and it is understood United have contacted the Blues about a potential loan.

FFP headache

However, with the spectre of Financial Fair Play hanging over Chelsea, they are likely to at least insist on an obligation to buy the player who is still valued at €51.9m ($44.5m) by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm.

Bertrand is another, cheaper, option. The former England left-back has been back training with Chelsea since being released by Leicester, but remains available on a free transfer.

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Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano revealed that United had a three-man shortlist for the position without outlining who the third player was, but FootballTransfers has been told that they sounded out Ivan Perisic, who turned them down.

Their idea was to take him on loan, as with Cucurella, but the Croatian former World Cup finalist dismissed the idea out of hand, despite his future at Tottenham Hotspur under Ange Postecoglou looking bleak.

A loan or free transfer might have to do for the Red Devils for the time being. They have spent most of their summer transfer budget on Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Mason Mount, and are struggling to shift Harry Maguire, who turned down a move to West Ham.