Manchester United survived a late scare to secure a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Saturday (February 4). Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford got on the scoresheet before Casemiro picked up a red card to cause a tense end.
Meanwhile, former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has urged the Red Devils to sign Harry Kane. Elsewhere, Alejandro Garnacho is close to extending his stay at Old Trafford.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on February 4, 2023:
Manchester United advised to sign Harry Kane
Stan Collymore reckons Manchester United should target Harry Kane this summer. The Red Devils are expected to sign a world-class centre-back at the end of the season, and the Englishman is on manager Erik ten Hag’s shortlist.
Speaking exclusively to Caught Offside, Collymore said that Kane would be a less risky option than the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Victor Osimhen for Manchester United.
“Kane guarantees a team goals, and even though he’s already Tottenham’s top goalscorer, he hasn’t won a single major trophy, so he’ll be thinking ‘I can’t do any more here’. He’ll want to go somewhere where he has a genuine chance of winning silverware, and Man United offer that now,” said Collymore.
He added:
“I’m not saying Vlahovic and Osimhen aren’t top players; their performances in Italy are proving they are, but we’ve seen others come from abroad, such as Gianluca Scamacca to West Ham, and not do it, so there is a risk attached. Whereas with Kane, you know exactly what you’re going to get, so if I had to choose which one out of three, Kane all day long.”
The Englishman has registered 18 goals and three assists in 29 games across competitions this season for Tottenham Hotspur.
Alejandro Garnacho close to extension
Alejandro Garnacho is all set to commit his future to Manchester United, according to AS.
The Argentinean has taken Old Trafford by storm since breaking into the first team this season. He has established himself as a regular under Ten Hag and is already tipped to have a great future ahead. With his contract expiring next summer, speculation is ripe regarding his next move.
However, the Red Devils are close to ensuring that their prized asset continues his development with the club.
Garnacho has all but agreed a new contract that will keep him at Manchester United till 2028. Only details regarding the distribution of image rights remain to be addressed, with both parties confident of a solution in the coming days.
The 18-year-old has appeared 24 times across competitions this season for the Red Devils, scoring three goals and registering six assists.
Erik ten Hag pleased with Marcel Sabitzer debut
Erik ten Hag is pleased with Marcel Sabitzer’s performance against Crystal Palace.
The Austrian midfielder joined Manchester United last month on loan from Bayern Munich for the rest of the season. He came off the bench against the Eagles on Saturday for his debut and helped the Red Devils hold on to a slender lead.
Speaking after the win, as cited by The Metro, Ten Hag said that Sabitzer will add the right spirit to his squad.
“Yeah, he understands football. You see straight from the start. We have already seen that in the training as well. But, yeah, he did quite well. He’s really composed on the ball, and he knows how to defend. We need such a player who understands the game and will bring also the right spirit in,” said Ten Hag.
Luke Shaw also showered praise on Sabitzer, adding that the player has settled in quickly since his arrival.
“He was amazing, and he’s not been here long. He’s only been here a couple of days now, and he showed his quality in training. I think to come on with ten men and show that impressive performance in not so long (on the pitch) is good and shows signs to come of what he’s about,” said Shaw.
Sabitzer was drafted in to help Manchester United deal with an unexpected injury to Christian Eriksen.