Manchester United look to have laid out their ambitions for the January transfer window at Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag continues to shape his squad, according to a new report.
Manchester United's questionable recruitment…
Despite spending over £170 million in the summer transfer window on Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir, Sofyan Amrabat, Rasmus Hojlund, Jonny Evans and Sergio Reguilon, Manchester United fans will feel like some of their recruitment processes need to be questioned after a frustrating start to the campaign.
In midweek, the Red Devils surrendered a two-goal lead over Galatasaray in Istanbul and fell to a 3-3 draw in a must-win Champions League clash, leaving them bottom of Group A with four points from five fixtures as the challenge of Bayern Munich at Old Trafford awaits on matchday six.
During the tie, Cameroon international Onana was at fault for Hakim Ziyech's second goal of the evening, spilling the former Chelsea man's strike, which eventually trickled over the line in fairly hapless fashion.
Speaking to TNT Sports cited via TEAMtalk in the aftermath of the fixture, club legend Paul Scholes laid into Onana's performance on the night, stating: "What can you say? It’s a terrible mistake again (for the second goal). I’m sure if he is trying to punch it away with his right hand, it’s weak. He makes people nervous. I think he makes his defence nervy, his team nervous. He makes simple saves look really, really difficult.
"You see him again here at the near post (for the third goal). I’m not a goalkeeping expert and others will know more about this, but I don’t think he should be beaten at the near post. His positioning is poor. For me, all three goals are down to him."
Of course, Onana wasn't the only man to blame for Manchester United's downfall; however, it does provoke questions regarding the wider structure involving recruiting players at Old Trafford. Now, one other under-fire star could now be set to be replaced in January as part of a squad reshuffle by Ten Hag in the upcoming transfer window.
Manchester United target Sofyan Amrabat replacement
According to a report from The Guardian, Manchester United have concerns over loanee Amrabat's start to life at Old Trafford and could look to move in January for a new defensive midfielder.
Sofyan Amrabat at Manchester United – all competitions (Transfermarkt)
Appearances
12
Goals
0
Assists
0
Dutchman Ten Hag also has designs on bringing a right winger, number eight and striker to the club; however, much will depend on Sir Jim Ratcliffe completing his 25% purchase of the Premier League giants and their Financial Fair play situation.
Amrabat, who has previously been labelled "extraordinary" by Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique, has struggled to get to grips with life in the Premier League, evidenced by the fact he has recorded a WhoScored average match rating of 6.46/10, which places him as Ten Hag's 16th-best player on that metric (Amrabat statistics).
Come January, the Morocco international will slip down the pecking order at Old Trafford if the Red Devils elect to add more competition to their engine room.
