Manchester United have had a mixed start to the season as they have won two and drawn two in their opening five games. The Red Devils emerged as the highest spenders in the Premier League this summer, but the consensus is that they needed a few more signings to challenge the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City for the title.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær though might get another opportunity to bring in reinforcements in January, and latest reports from the Sun indicates that the Manchester giants have been put on red alert as Barcelona are looking to find new suitors for Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti. The Catalans are looking to raise £110m in transfer funds by selling the duo. Rakitic and Umtiti were available in the market in the summer as well, but they stayed put at the Camp Nou as Barcelona didn’t get their right price.
It is being said that if the money is right, then the reigning La Liga champions can sanction the move for the duo in January. Along with United, Arsenal could also be in the mix to sign them.
Will Rakitic be a good signing?
The Croatian midfielder who emerged as a crucial player in the past few seasons is waning off, and the 31-year-old hasn’t had a good year after the World Cup where he helped Croatia reach the finals. Fans and team management have often been left disappointed with his performances in the past few months. Hence, it is no surprise that Barcelona are looking to ship him away as he is already 31.
Rakitic currently seems to be a bit behind the pace of the game and Manchester United should avoid signing him in January if the opportunity arises. The Premier League is even more intense and physical than the La Liga, and Ole will make a mistake if he decides to spend millions on Rakitic.
On paper, he might look and feel like a marquee signing, but United have had plenty of players who flopped in the recent past even though they came in with a big reputation.
Is Umtiti worth going after?
The French World Cup winner has fallen down the pecking order at Barcelona. It is slightly surprising that with an ageing Gerard Pique, Barcelona are willing to push away Umtiti. The defender would be a decent signing for the Red Devils who have struggled defensively in the last two years. The club spent big money on Harry Maguire so it remains to be seen whether they would again open the vault to sign a big-money defender in January.
