It’s expected that clubs will have multiple choices and targets when they go into a transfer window, but it’s always good to have some back up plans in case things start to go wrong.
This story from the Daily Record is an interesting from Man United’s point of view, but it’s also hard to know what to make of it.
They’ve suggested that United have asked Lille to keep them up to date with any offers they might receive for Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes, who’s being linked with a £25m transfer this summer.
Clearly it sounds like United have some kind of interest in him, but this also makes it sound like they don’t believe in him enough to simply go out and sign him.
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It’s suggested that Everton and Inter Milan are also showing an interest in him, so it will be fascinating to see what happens if an offer comes in.
If United suddenly step in at the last moment then there will be accusations that they’ve panicked or been forced into making the move by other teams, but it could also be the case that he’s just a back up option if all their other targets fall through.
The performances of Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones this season have shown that Solskjaer needs to add to his defensive options this summer, and Gabriel could be a solid if somewhat underwhelming addition.