In search of a late deal for a left-back, Manchester United have tried various options, including signing Nicolás Tagliafico from Lyon.
The Argentine is a player Erik ten Hag knows very well from their time at Ajax Amsterdam together, and it would have made sense for the Red Devils to sign him, at the very least on a temporary deal, just to help out while Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia recover from their injuries.
Foot Mercato have an article on the latest surrounding this potential deal, with the player fuming at not being allowed to move to Manchester United.
It’s explained that Tagliafico ‘isn’t the happiest’ at Lyon, and was particularly annoyed at seeing his transfer to Manchester United pushed to one side after the Red Devils made a ‘very nice offer’ to sign him.
Besides the fact that it would have been a great move for him, there is also some incomprehension as to why two stellar youth products such as Castello Lukeba and Bradley Barcola are being allowed to leave while others are not.
The former was sold to RB Leipzig earlier on in the summer, while the latter is on the verge of completing a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Tagliafico isn’t the only one, as Foot Mercato explain that ‘several players have shown some sort of cold anger’ at the decision to let the two young players leave while others were forced to stay.
The argument put forward by John Textor is that Tagliafico would have been too hard to replace, such is his importance on the pitch and in the dressing room.
While that’s all well and good, the idea that this doesn’t apply to two homegrown players has confused a few, and ultimately forced Manchester United to go look elsewhere, with Marc Cucurella reportedly the likeliest to arrive at Old Trafford before the end of the transfer window.
