Football Today
·4 September 2024
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·4 September 2024
Manchester United had an impressive summer transfer window with five high-profile signings.
Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte were signed for a combined fee of £180 million.
The Red Devils were also linked with several other players, and SportBILD claims they ‘came knocking’ for RB Leipzig star Lois Openda.
However, the French striker made it clear early on that he had no plans of leaving Leipzig.
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also failed with enquiries for the former Lens marksman.
Openda does not have a release clause in his contract, but it is claimed that Leipzig could be prepared to accept over £63 million for a future sale.
United were searching for a new striker over the summer and they eventually chose to sign Zirkzee from Serie A outfit Bologna.
Zirkzee had a fantastic debut with a late winner against Fulham off the bench, but he has failed to impress in the last two Premier League games.
The 23-year-old was guilty of missing two clear-cut chances in the 3-0 loss to Liverpool.
The Dutchman is far from the finished article, but United will be hoping that he can live up to his potential under manager Erik ten Hag’s tutelage.
Openda would have been a fantastic purchase for United. He was brilliant in his debut season for Leipzig, bagging 28 goals and seven assists.
The striker snubbed the opportunity to leave the Bundesliga outfit, but he could consider a bigger challenge at the end of the current campaign.
Leipzig need a big-money sale every summer to balance their books, and United may return for Openda next year.
A deal could depend on Zirkzee’s performances. If Zirkzee fails to make a significant impact, the club could contemplate a marquee striker signing.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com.