Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Sir Alex Ferguson backing Erik ten Hag; Red Devils eyeing Castello Lukeba, and more - November 17, 2023

Manchester United are sixth in the Premier League after 12 games, seven points behind leaders Manchester City (28). Erik ten Hag's team have seven wins and five defeats in the league.

Meanwhile, legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is backing current manager Erik ten Hag to succeed at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, the Red Devils are interested in RB Leipzign defender Castello Lukeba.

On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on November 17, 2023:

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Sir Alex Ferguson backing Erik ten Hag

Sir Alex Ferguson has lent his support to Erik ten Hag.

Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Erik ten Hag to turn things around at Old Trafford.

The Dutch manager arrived at the club last summer and enjoyed an impressive debut season. Ten Hag won the EFL Cup, reached the final of the FA Cup and finished third in the Premier League.

His team were expected to hit a higher gear this campaign but have endured an underwhelming run. The Red Devils are bottom of Group A in the UEFA Champions League after four games and have lost five times in the league. Calls for a managerial change are getting stronger by the minute, but Ferguson wants Ten Hag to stay.

The legendary manager is likely to advise prospective club co-owner Jim Ratcliffe to keep faith in the Dutchman. Ferguson believes thata the recent criticism on Ten Hag is unfair and thta he can take Manchester United back to their heyday.

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Manchester United eyeing Castello Lukeba

Manchester United are interested in Castello Lukeba, according to Bild. The French defender joined RB Leipzig from Lyon this summer and has been quite impressive.

Lukeba has become a first-team regular at the Red Bull Arena, appearing 16 times across competitions and registering five clean sheets. He has subsequently popped up on the Red Devils' radar.

Ten Hag remains keen to add more steel to his backline in the winter following a disappointing start to the season. Meanwhile, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire remain linked with exits from Old Trafford.

Lukeba's arrival could help matters for Manchester United, but prising him away in January could be next to impossible. The 20-year-old only joined the Bundesliga side this summer, and Leipzig have no desire to let him go in the middle of the season.

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Journalist advises Red Devils to sign new striker in January

Rasmus Hojlund has struggled to get going at Old Trafford.

Journalist Dean Jones has advised Manchester United to sign a new striker in the winter transfer window.

The Red Devils spent £72 million on Rasmus Hojlund this summer, who arrived from Atalanta. While the Danish striker has scored five times in four games in the Champions League, he's yet to open his book in the Premier League.

The 20-year-old has drawn a blank in nine league outings, with Manchester United struggling in the final third. Jones told GIVEMESPORT that the club should bring in an experienced name to share the goalscoring burden with Hojlund.

“I think it's really important that United consider how they can get an experienced player to come in the second half of the season and try to help Hojlund.

"I spoke to somebody the other day who said they'd have been better off with Weghorst at the rate that he’s currently scoring goals," said Jones.

He continued:

"At least Weghorst has scored two goals this season. It’s probably a bit harsh, but at the end of the day, Hojlund is scoring goals in the Champions League, but he must start doing it in the Premier League, and injuries are not going to help that.”

The Red Devils have scored just 13 times in 12 games in the league, the lowest among the top 10 teams.