After signing Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro in quick time, Manchester United have moved their attention to further additions.
It is an open secret that the club is now in a “sell to buy” mode, having being perilously close to breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules previously.
That is why multiple players are reportedly on the block as the team clearly needs more additions across the board.
Now, recognising the gravity of the operation, Erik ten Hag and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have reportedly launched extraordinary measures to land one player.
Ten Hag and Sir Jim Ratcliffe go all guns blazing for player
Amid negotiations ongoing for Manuel Ugarte, who had a starring run at the Copa America, the club have reportedly identified a Euros star to join him.
Unlike Ugarte, they are also ready to go all guns blazing for him, with Erik ten Hag deploying Ruud van Nistelrooy to convince the player of the move.
If/when that happens, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also ready to squeeze the chequebook a little more than first thought to land the player, repeating the Leny Yoro trick where United blew others out of the water with their offer.
As per Spanish publication Sport, that player is Xavi Simons, who continued his ascent on the world stage after impressing for the Netherlands at the Euros.
United’s interest in Simons is now new. They have been linked to him previously for both, loan and permanent transfer moves.
Simons has the ability to play across the front line as well as an attack-minded No. 8, which would open up many tactical options for Ten Hag.
Sending fellow Dutchman Van Nistelrooy to convince him ahead of others is also a shrewd move, since the player is attracting interest from many top sides, a la Leny Yoro.
Making sense of the report
While United’s interest in Simons is easy to understand, it is difficult to decipher how the terms of the deal and the club’s desperation make sense.
That is because United have already strengthened their attack and with the emergence of Amad as an established first-team player, the wings are loaded.
In midfield, if Ten Hag persists with 4-2-3-1, then Bruno Fernandes will take the No. 10 role and Mason Mount will be the utility backup across multiple positions.
Therefore, there is no clear position where Simons walks into the team unopposed. Of course, United could be strengthening their squad depth but going the extra mile to land a rotation player is hard to believe.
Moreover, Simons himself can get undisputed starter opportunities at other clubs which will turn his head more than playing backup to Fernandes at Old Trafford.
Therefore, it looks like if Simons moves this summer, it might not be the right time for United to go all guns blazing as the tactical fit and financial packages don’t match.