It always feels like the idea of the January transfer window is far better than the reality. Fans will have visions of a big name signing that will turn the season around, but it’s really just cast offs or players out of favour that want a move.
It was always expected that Manchester United would be linked with a lot of names this month after a mediocre season, but nobody has signed at this point. It actually sounds like they are getting rejections too.
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In fairness the whole team needs to be improved, but the midfield has been poor and injuries have made things worse. A report from The Mirror via Football Espana has indicated that they made an approach for Ajax star Donny van de Beek, but he’s turned them down.
They go on to suggest that this will be welcome news to Real Madrid who have admired him for a long time. It sounds like he won’t be going anywhere this month, but they indicate a €60M move next Summer looks a lot more likely after this.
They even say that the Dutchman could be seen as the alternative to Paul Pogba with a lower transfer fee and he might demand less of a wage as well.
His signing would make sense as Real will start to need a long term replacement for Toni Kroos or Luka Modric. It certainly looks like Man United should move on to other targets after this.