Erik ten Hag is keen to strengthen his squad before next week’s transfer deadline, with several areas left unresolved despite the three-month long transfer window.
The Dutchman will have been delighted with his recruits thus far, however, with Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen all starring in the 2-1 win over Liverpool earlier this week.
He has also added Casemiro to the squad and the Brazil international could make his debut against Southampton on Saturday after he was named among the substitutes.
United have spent much of the summer chasing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong but have ultimately failed in that pursuit. Now, it’s being claimed that another Catalunya star has caught United’s eye.
According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, United have now joined Chelsea in the race to sign forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who joined Barcelona in January.
Read more: Man Utd edging closer to completing fifth signing of the summer
As per the report, United have been a fresh approach to sign the Gabonese forward, with the club identifying the former Arsenal captain as a potential candidate to fill the hole in the attack.
Chelsea, who were also interested in De Jong, have been in protracted negotiations with Barcelona over Aubameyang but have not reached an agreement.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is said to be pushing for a deal to sign Aubameyang but as things stand, no resolution has been found and Aubameyang’s future is up in the air.
SN’s verdict…
It feels like United’s activity in the market could depend on whether Cristiano Ronaldo remains at the club or not. The most recent update on Ronaldo’s future revealed that his agent, Jorge Mendes, is trying to engineer a move to Napoli.
United are also considering options in the final third after their third bid for Ajax winger Antony was turned down, with Old Trafford officials now weighing up whether they should abandon that deal.
Aubameyang, at 33, is another short-term solution to a long-term problem and United have needed to address that area for a long time.
Should he join, he would be succeeding Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Odion Ighalo as United’s last three signings in that department.
