Man Utd target ex-Arsenal attacker in huge January transfer upgrade
Robin Bairner
- 27 Sep 2023 00:45 CDT
- 4 min read
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has his eye on signing Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry during the January transfer window, according to a report from Spain.
The Red Devils find themselves short of cover in the wide areas as Jadon Sancho remains in dispute with Ten Hag while Antony is frozen out amid domestic abuse allegations that he denies.
With a lack of experience available in that area, Nacional reports (via the Daily Mail) that Man Utd are seeking to bolster their squad via a move for former Arsenal star Gnabry.
MORE: Ten Hag faces BIZARRE criticism over Cristiano Ronaldo's Man Utd exit
Gnabry has experience in the Premier League, having come through Arsenal’s Hale End academy before moving to Werder Bremen and subsequently Bayern Munich, where he has flourished.
Bayern signed the 28-year-old for just €8 million and he now has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €43m. Man Utd would be expected to pay at least this in January and probably significantly more if they are to prise away one of FCB’s key players at that point of the season.
MORE: The key advantage Ten Hag has over Arteta, Guardiola and Klopp at Man Utd
According to data analytics experts SciSports, Gnabry is the third strongest right winger in the world, so is a player who would represent a significant upgrade to the Red Devils.
He left Bayern’s 4-0 DFB Pokal victory over Preussen Munster on Wednesday early because of what proved to be a broken arm, which will keep him on the sidelines for weeks, but is not a serious enough injury to prevent Man Utd from retaining an interest.
The best right-wingers in the world (SciSports)
| Name | Club | SciSkill |
|---|---|---|
| Leroy Sane | Bayern | 132.4 |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 124.9 |
| Serge Gnabry | Bayern | 124.5 |
| Dejan Kulusevski | Tottenham | 120.8 |
| Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | 119.4 |
Ten Hag on Jadon Sancho
Ten Hag, meanwhile, continues to be frosty on the subject of Jadon Sancho.
When asked about the former Borussia Dortmund winger following his side’s 3-0 EFL Cup victory over Crystal Palace, he said: “I don’t comment about unavailable players – again, I don’t comment.”
Probed whether the player deleting his Instagram account might be seen as a move towards a resolution of the problem, Ten Hag said: “I don't know, it's up to him. I don’t comment about players not available.”
Sancho last played for Manchester United in the 3-2 win against Nottingham Forest and has just 76 minutes of competitive action to his name this season.
