Manchester United face stiff competition for two of the French league’s most talented young defenders.

The team from Old Trafford have been regularly linked with defenders since the start of the season. Only Antwerp have conceded more than the 14 goals United have let in, in just five Champions League games this season, as they have been brutally exposed in Europe.

Names such as Jean-Clair Todibo, Goncalo Inacio and Robin Le Normand are three of numerous ones linked to the club in regard to centre backs. The team have also been heavily credited with interest in right backs with Denzel Dumfries and Jeremie Frimpong consistently being mentioned.

Although, it appears the Old Trafford side may be interested in young players to fill said positions. According to teamtalk.com, both Leny Yoro and Tiago Santos have wowed an impressive range of scouts from the Premier League due to their showings in Ligue 1 and the Europa Conference League.

Despite the French team’s inexperience, they are fourth in the league and top of their Conference League group. The team also boasts the second best defensive record in the competition with only 11 goals conceded. This is the second best record in France, alongside Paris Saint-Germain.

However, it is two of Lille’s younger players in particular who are “beginning to attract interest from England’s elite” and scouts are being “driven wild” by the two youngsters. Here is a look at the two players.

Leny Yoro

Yoro is an 18 year old centre back who has played 12 times in Ligue 1 this season and even represented the French Under 21 side. The defender has “received glowing reports” from English scouts this season according to teamtalk.com. All of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham are said to be keeping tabs on the starlet.

The young French defender has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 and averages 3.9 ball recoveries and 3.2 clearances a game. The centre back also only has a contract until the end of the 2024/25 season, so interested teams could be ready to pounce.

Tiago Santos

The next young Lille defender to impress Premier League scouts is Santos. The right back is 21 years old and has made 11 starts for the Ligue 1 side this season. Like Yoro, he has also represented his under 21 nation, Portugal.

Fichajes.net claims that United, Liverpool and Chelsea have all watched and been made aware of the player’s talent. It is claimed by the Spanish outlet that United are keen to strengthen their defence and Santos’ youth and talent could see him compete with Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka and even be an upgrade.

The player has also impressed this season with an average Sofascore rating of 7.15. Santos also put in an impressive 8.1 rated display last month against Lyon, where he even scored a goal.

The article claims that the French side may be tempted to sell the Portuguese player but with the defender tied down to a recently signed five year deal, the club is absolutely under no pressure to sell.

All in all, it is unlikely that United would look to sign such inexperienced players to bolster the defence and would most likely choose more established names to get more instant results. However, it is always plausible that the side from Old Trafford will have interest in these players in the future if they continue to progress as they have been doing this campaign.

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Last month, a report covered by The Peoples Person suggested that United are admirers of Alip and had even sent scouts to watch the 23-year-old in action.

Erik ten Hag is clearly on the hunt for defensive reinforcements ahead of upcoming transfer windows. This season, the Red Devils have conceded far too many easy and cheap goals.

The backline has not been as strong, solid and resolute as it was last term.

This has partly been due to key injuries suffered by key players at different points of the campaign. The likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane and Sergio Reguilon have all experienced fitness issues.

At the moment, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia are recovering from long-term physical setbacks.

United have been linked to players such as Antonio Silva, Jean-Clair Todibo, Marc Guehi, Goncalo Inacio and of course St Petersburg’s Alip just to mention a few names.

Former United winger Andre Kanchelskis recently opened up on the rumours suggesting Alip could be on his way to England and declared his hope that such reports were true.

Danil Krugovoy has now publicly backed his teammate at the Russian outfit to quickly find his feet at the Theatre of Dreams.

Krugovoy is Zenit’s first-choice left-back and regularly plays alongside Alip.

He spoke to Bombadir and said that United would be in good hands with a centre-back pairing of Alip and the rejuvenated Maguire.

Krugovoy remarked, “They will have an excellent partnership, Maguire and Alip.”

Since joining Zenit in 2021 from Kairat, Alip has been crucial in helping his current side win two Russian Premier League titles.

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Heavily sought-after teenage stars like Hannibal Mejbri, Alejandro Garnacho, Gabriele Biancheri, and Harry Amass are just a few who have chosen to join the club, believing in its superior academy production line.

The club was forced to sell quite a few academy graduates this summer but manager Erik ten Hag remains a firm believer in youth as seen from the breakthroughs of the Argentine and Kobbie Mainoo.

Academy recruitment

Dan Gore has also made his first-team debut this season while the Tunisian scored his maiden senior goal this term. Omari Forson is touted as the next academy graduate who could make his debut under the Dutch manager.

One area where the club could do with superior recruitment is up front where the first team is struggling currently. And United are reportedly scouting a world champion for the position.

As per 90min, the 20-time English league champions are ruling the roost over recently-crowned U-17 World Cup winner Germany striker Max Moerstedt.

The 17-year-old created a stir during the tournament, scoring scored four goals while also converting his penalty during the penalty shoot-out during the final.

The Hoffenheim academy star has also been on fire for his club’s reserve team, netting 14 goals and providing four assists in only 11 games. And his displays have not gone unnoticed among other European elite sides.

Max Moerstedt impressing scouts

“Manchester United and Chelsea are among the clubs keeping a watchful eye on 17-year-old Hoffenheim striker Max Moerstedt, 90min understands.

“United and Chelsea scouts have been impressed. Brighton & Hove Albion, a club with a deserved reputation for identifying and developing young talent, also like what they see.

“It isn’t just Premier League sides, though, with Juventus and Atalanta keeping tabs on Moerstedt too.”

An archetypical target man standing around 6’4, he was a former Bayern Munich academy star but is now close to a senior breakthrough at Hoffenheim.

He is recognised by the Bundesliga side “as a player of enormous potential” and he has a contract until 2026.

The Bundesliga side will not entertain any low offers for the teenage sensation and it will likely take a major offer to prise him away from his homeland.

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The Frenchman looked like he would be the leader of the new, great Manchester United team emerging under Erik ten Hag last year.

Fast forward to today, and the defender is out of the team, apparently out of favour, and United are already willing to move him on.

Now, Teamtalk reports that not only are United willing to sell the World Cup winner, but they are also open to taking a loss on their marquee investment.

Ten Hag is willing to start negotiations for the player at just £35 million, a £5 million decrease from the price he was brought for from Real Madrid.

Obviously, if the negotiations begin at £35 million, then it would be unrealistic for United to get that price, meaning that the loss they take will be huge at the end.

Their situation is not helped by the startling lack of interest in the Frenchman.

Bayern Munich have registered an interest but they have been notoriously penny-pinching when it comes to buying players, always looking for a shrew investment first.

Then there’s the Saudi Arabian Pro League, which is more known for providing fat paychecks to the players instead of spending huge sums in transfer fees.

The wildcard which recently emerged was Olympique Marseille, who are not European financial heavyweights by any stretch of the imagination.

Ultimately, it has resulted in United having to soften their stance on a player who couldn’t make the team over a soon-to-be 36-year-old Jonny Evans.

While Harry Maguire has resurrected his career this season, it looks like the vacant space hurt the players too much and Varane has slid in that slot perfectly.

Unfortunately for United, this means another big money dud they’ll have to take a loss on.

Lesson learned, finally? Most fans wouldn’t bet on it.

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Just when things were starting to look up for the Red Devils after the Everton victory, the team crumbled in Istanbul, snatching a point from the jaws of victory before meekly surrendering to the Magpies.

Manager Erik ten Hag is once again under immense pressure with British media attacking him with stories of dressing room revolt over tactics and alleged mistreatment of Jadon Sancho.

Dressing room turmoil

The club resorted to banning serial offenders like Samuel Luckhurst but the black clouds hovering over Old Trafford will not rescind till there is an upturn in form.

Stories being leaked by certain players is nothing new at United with player power allowed to run rampant by the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe will need to come in and fix this along with his behind-the-scene personnel changes.

While the INEOS chairman might not be able to back the club with large funds during the winter transfer window, moving on certain players might help with that.

Sancho is one player whose attitude has been questioned time and again and quite a few clubs are open to moving for him in January.

Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Saudi clubs are just a few in the race and if the Englishman is successfully sold, the proceeds will then be used to buy an alternative.

Plenty of forwards have been named as targets including Premier League ace Pedro Neto but a new name has come up in the form of sign Donyell Malen.

A versatile forward capable of playing on either wing and up front, the Netherlands international has five goals and two assists from 14 starts across all competitions this season.

Malen, a January target

As Football Transfers pointed out, the 24-year-old recently signed for SEG agency, who are enjoying great relations with the club at present, having Ten Hag on their roster as well.

“Manchester United will be offered the chance to sign Donyell Malen if Jadon Sancho departs the club, FootballTransfers is told.

“The Borussia Dortmund winger recently signed for agency SEG, the firm that oversaw Erik ten Hag’s switch from Ajax to the Premier League giants.”

Ten Hag knows the Dortmund star well from his time in the Netherlands and this rumour could very well prove to be true due to the nature of acquisitions seen under the current boss.

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Luis Miguelsanz, a reporter for Sport, contends the Van de Beek wants to “offer…himself to Barcelona” after having fallen firmly down the pecking order at Old Trafford.

Despite having previously thrived under the stewardship of Erik ten Hag at Ajax, Van de Beek’s struggles to impose himself at United have persisted during the Dutch manager’s tenure.

Van de Beek had appeared certain to secure a move away from Old Trafford in the summer, with Real Sociedad reportedly close to agreeing a loan deal with United. Negotiations faltered, however, and the Dutch star remained.

Van de Beek has played twenty-one minutes of senior football since that point. Ten Hag has openly indicated it is not a positive situation for the player and is said to be happy with him leaving in January in search of more consistent minutes.

At present, Barcelona are experiencing its own midfield problems, with teenage sensation Gavi likely ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury.

Miguelsanz reports the coaching staff at Camp Nou are open to additional midfield reinforcements in January should the budget allow it. They are conscious of how draining a full season can be on a depleted squad, particularly in midfield.

The executive branch of Barcelona is thought to not be in favour of such a move, however. Their doubts over Van de Beek are said to be “very high.”

Nonetheless, Miguelsanz does believe Van de Beek’s profile is suited to Barcelona and reveals the club were “very close” to signing the Dutchman after their successful pursuit of his former team-mate, Frenkie De Jong. The pair enjoyed great success as a midfield pairing under Ten Hag; Van de Beek operating as the free-roaming attacking midfielder while De Jong sat deeper, playing as the conduit between defence and attack.

As such, a move for Van de Beek may make short-term sense for Barcelona. It certainly would for United, who are eminently keen to offload an unwanted player on significant wages ahead of what may be a busy window at Old Trafford.

Juventus are the team most strongly linked with Van de Beek, as explained here. Miguelsanz contends the Italian giants are “convinced that [Van de Beek] can once again be a very important footballer,” as he was in Amsterdam.

Officials at Old Trafford will have no preference over which European side offers Van de Beek an escape from United in January, just that he does depart.

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United’s attackers, especially Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial put in arguably their worst displays, once again highlighting the lack of firepower at Erik ten Hag‘s disposal.

Rasmus Hojlund came on as a second-half substitute and even though the young Dane is the top-scorer in the Champions League, he is yet to open his account in the Premier League.

United need goals

The Dutch manager was always aware that such a scenario would play out due to the player being ‘raw’ and thus wanted the club to bring in another striker in the summer.

The Glazers let him down eventually, and United might try to rectify that in January should funds be available after moving players on during the winter transfer window.

One player the club could target, according to Fichajes, is Porto striker Evanilson who has been in scintillating form this season.

In nine starts across all competitions, the 24-year-old has scored 10 times and provided on assist. Such impressive numbers have been noticed by fellow Premier League clubs Tottenham and Chelsea as well.

The Brazilian arrived in Porto back in 2020 for €8.80 million and the Portuguese giants will not easily roll over and allow their star striker to leave in January.

“With the winter transfer market just around the corner, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea have focused their attention on the same target: Evanilson, Porto’s talented forward.

Evanilson a target but January move looks difficult

“The Brazilian, who is currently shining in the ranks of Porto, has aroused the interest of these Premier League teams, who are evaluating the possibility of presenting offers to secure his signing in the next transfer window.

“His contract with Porto extends until 2027, which could complicate his departure from the Portuguese club. Furthermore, there has been speculation that Porto have no plans to let the promising striker go, which would force English teams to negotiate cautiously or wait for an opportunity in the future.”

A transfer could materialise if a huge offer were to arrive but there are more chances of that happening next summer rather than in the middle of the season.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s entry delayed, it is unlikely he can support the club in the upcoming transfer market. United might be forced to look for a cheaper alternative or someone who could arrive on a loan.

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Following David de Gea’s departure in the summer after 12 years of service at Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag sanctioned a move for Andre Onana.

The Cameroonian showed positive signs during pre-season but when the campaign started, struggled to replicate the form he showed at Inter Milan during his tenure in Italy.

Onana made several high-profile blunders that dearly cost United, especially in the Champions League.

Before the November international break, the Cameroonian seemed to be turning a corner and earned himself plaudits for what seemed like an incredible turnaround.

However, he committed three howlers during United’s clash against Galatasaray in Istanbul a week ago, which helped the Turkish giants rescue a vital point when it seemed like the Red Devils would run out as convincing winners.

As it stands, Ten Hag’s men are bottom of Group A and will almost certainly need a miracle to advance to the next level of the competition.

There was pressure on the manager to drop Onana heading into the Newcastle match at St James’ Park, but Ten Hag chose to stick by his man and repeatedly defended him in public.

According to Foot Mercato however, Ten Hag harbours doubts about Onana’s long-term suitability as United’s starting goalkeeper, just months after he spent big on the player.

The publication states that due to this, United are keeping an eye on Maignan, whose contract with AC Milan expires in 2026.

The Frenchman has been in negotiations with the Serie A outfit for fresh terms but there has not been a breakthrough so far.

It’s believed that Maignan wants a significant wage increase to reflect his status as one of the world’s best goalkeepers.

However, the Rossoneri are not willing to bow to the shot-stopper’s wishes as they’re in the middle of a financial crisis. The situation has apparently alerted other top teams to the possibility of Maignan becoming suddenly available.

Foot Mercato states, “According to our information, Manchester United (Erik ten Hag really likes his profile and is not convinced by André Onana), Chelsea (who are still very interested as was already the case last summer), Bayern Munich (who is looking for a successor to Manuel Neuer), PSG, his training club, are there and are waiting quietly and carefully following the negotiations between the 28-year-old goalkeeper, whose value is estimated at more than €70 million.”

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Manchester United’s recruitment over the last decade has left a lot to be desired, with a raft of high-profile names failing to deliver upon their arrival at the club.

Erik ten Hag has been the latest manager to fall foul of the club’s inability to perform in the transfer market.

The Dutch coach has missed out on a few of his top targets and the club have overpaid for players that are struggling to adapt to life at Old Trafford.

After a strong first season in charge, United are now struggling under Ten Hag’s tutelage and the majority of his signings are looking well off the pace.

Casemiro’s fitness issues and alarming drop in form have left the manager looking for a long-term replacement in his defensive midfield role.

As reported by Team Talk, highly-rated Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor has been linked with a move to the club as the solution to United’s struggles with moving the balls through the lines.

The 21-year-old has emerged as the latest player of the famous production line at Ajax and has been largely excellent since his debut in the winter of 2020.

Very much in the mould of long-standing United target Frenkie de Jong, the classy Taylor has the ability to play forward under pressure as well as protect the back four.

United have already registered their interest in the youngster but his recent performances have caught the eye of multiple other Premier League clubs.

Liverpool and Manchester City are also long-standing admirers of the player but Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Brighton have recently joined the list of potential suitors.

The Dutchman looks to have his pick of clubs and United will be hoping Erik ten Hag’s connection to Taylor’s current employers could help sway the deal in their favour.

There has been no official bid placed by United thus far but it’s clear Ten Hag will want his board to be active in January to give him the best chance of a strong end to the season.

United continue their tricky-looking festive fixture list with the visit of Chelsea on Wednesday evening after the limp defeat to Newcastle at the weekend.

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Spanish number one, Unai Simon, has reportedly rejected Manchester United’s advances to sign the player, in favour of staying in the Basque country.

According to fichajes.net, the 26-year-old keeper has rejected three teams to stay in Bilbao, and one of those sides was Manchester United.

The Peoples Person reported in the past that Simon was a potential option to replace David de Gea before the club eventually decided to bring in Andre Onana in the summer market.

The Basque-born keeper has played 15 games this season for Athletic Bilbao, conceding 18 goals in the process. Simon has also represented his national side 38 times since taking over the gloves in late 2020. (Stats via transfermarkt.com)

Fichajes claim that the shot-stopper rejected interest from United, Bayern Munich and Saudi Arabian teams in favour of staying loyal to Los Leones.

The report states that despite having a contract to 2025, the Basque club are desperate to try and tie down the man, who has played 173 times for the club, to a new long-term deal.

It says that the goalkeeper is a “fundamental” part of the team and that Simon has a “deep-rooted desire” to stay and fight for “the club of his heart”, despite the “tempting” offers he has received in the past.

Due to such positive circumstances, it is expected that the Spanish number one will agree to a new deal in the not-too-distant future, and no complications are expected in the process.

It is little wonder the Basque side is so keen to tie him down as Simon has been in fine form with an average Sofascore rating of 7.2 this season.

In October, the keeper was awarded with a 7.9 rating in a 1-0 loss against Barcelona. The keeper was credited with six saves with four coming inside the box.

With Manchester United’s new summer signing, Andre Onana, being under such heavy fire from the press after a series of high-profile mistakes, most recently against Galatasaray, it is normal that keepers who have been linked to the club in the past will be compared.

However, it is interesting to note that the Cameroonian keeper actually has a slightly higher season rating on Sofascore of 7.26 than Simon and he was recently credited with a mammoth 8.7 score and made five saves inside the box against Everton the weekend before last.

Onana’s major problem has been consistency and more specifically, making a series of high-profile blunders in the Champions League, as he has struggled to adapt to the high-pressure life of being United’s number one.

Whilst Erik ten Hag has recently claimed that the Cameroonian is “not undroppable”, it is unlikely Simon or any other keeper will take his spot just yet, as for better or worse, the Dutch coach seems desperate to make his expensive summer acquisition find some consistent form.

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