Manchester United had any momentum that they had been building come to a crashing halt against Bournemouth, who sent those at Old Trafford a reminder as to just how many problems Erik ten Hag still faces. The Red Devils are outside the top four in the Premier League with injuries to deal with and the kind of inconsistent form that doesn’t often end in Champions League qualification come May.
They may look towards the next two transfer windows to solve the problems they may have believed they solved during last summer, only to suffer more than ever under Ten Hag. With that said, the former Ajax manager has reportedly identified a shock top target when the summer window swings open at the end of the current campaign.
Man Utd transfer news
After winning the Carabao Cup and finishing inside the Premier League’s top four last season, United seemed a club on the up again. They then added the likes of Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount to seemingly solve any remaining issues in their side. Yet here the Red Devils are, approaching the halfway mark in the Premier League with defeats against Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion to their name, alongside a disastrous Champions League group stage campaign. In desperate need of reinforcements, United could now make a surprise move.
According to The Sun, Manchester United have made Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips a top target in the summer transfer window and Ten Hag, who is a “big fan” of the former Leeds United man, wants the Red Devils to be at the front of the queue with the Red Devils plotting a move. A source said:
“United are watching the situation with Phillips very carefully. He is likely to go out on loan in January, but he will then be looking for a permanent switch in the summer, and Ten Hag wants to be right at the front of the queue. He is a fan of the way Phillips plays, and thinks his style is perfectly suited to United and to the philosophy he is trying to instil in the group.
“Plus, the new investors want the club to focus on investing in and developing English players, and Phillips still remains one of the best English players in the Premier League. It wouldn’t be the first time a player has moved from City to United, but it’s always controversial.”
Man Utd transfer would be shock move for “excellent” Phillips
Having previously played for Leeds, a move to Manchester United could already be a controversial one for Phillips, but now that he’s played for Manchester City, it would likely be one of the most shocking transfers of the summer. The England international, who has been praised as “excellent” by Gareth Southgate in the past, wouldn’t be the first player to have played for both clubs, but it would remain a surprise.
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Players to have played for Manchester United and Manchester City |
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Peter Schmeichel |
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Carlos Tevez |
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Denis Law |
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Brian Kidd |
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Peter Beardsley |
With that said, when the summer arrives, Phillips, who shares the same agent as Luke Shaw, will certainly be one to keep an eye on. The Manchester City midfielder could shock the rest of the Premier League with his next move.