Amid all the talk currently going on regarding the futures of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, it’s easy to forget what Manchester United really need in the summer (other than to keep hold of their best talents): full-backs.
With Ashley Young currently stop-gapping at left-back and Antonio Valencia (once a galavanting winger) the starter down the right, natural players in the role are needed, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see José Mourinho emulate Pep Guardiola in the summer and splash the cash to fix the issue.
One man who appears to be one of the favourites for the left hand side of the defence is Faouzi Ghoulam, currently recovering from a fractured knee cap he sustained during his rehab from a torn ACL.
The idea that Mourinho is a big fan of the Napoli defender isn’t anything new, and it’s a move that’s been discussed many times in the European media, yet no one has gone in as much as RAI Sport journalist Ciro Venerato a few days ago.
Relayed by AreaNapoli, he said: “Is Ghoulam covered by Manchester United? Yes, he’s a champion, and despite the injury, he remains a man on the transfer market. United keep thinking about him.
“Between October and November, there was already a half agreement with Jorge Mendes to bring Alex Grimaldo (from Benfica) in blue (to Napoli) and Ghoulam to Manchester, but everything still needs to be concluded.”
That’s quite the claim, but it echoes what RMC Sport reported just a week or so ago, which was that Manchester United were preparing a €30m offer (plus bonuses) for the Algeria international.
There’s no smoke without fire and all that.
