The common consensus is that Manchester United are now in need of a comprehensive squad overhaul. Just signing a defensive midfielder is no longer enough to take United where they want to be, but it has to be a priority in the summer. Reports from Germany claim that Ralf Rangnick has got his eye on one in the shape of RB Leipzig’s Austrian international Konrad Laimer.
Bild, as translated by BuliNews, say that United are battling Tottenham for the signing of the 24-year-old when the transfer window opens. Reports made widespread circulation back in December about why Laimer is so well-suited to the demands of what United need in the middle of the park.
He has the energy and aggression that Rangnick demands and the pair worked together during his time with the Bundesliga outfit. Laimer was man of the match when Leipzig beat Manchester City in December and scored two goals against Borussia Dortmund at the weekend.
And a profile by Bundesliga.com also dubs him the ‘Austrian N’Golo Kante’; which sounds exactly like what United need in midfield. His contract is expiring in 2023, and the talks over a new deal are only scheduled to take place at the end of the season, as per the report.
That means that United could nip in there early and get a cut-price deal done at a time when he would have only a year left on his contract. With midfielders such as Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard looking likely to leave for nothing in the summer, getting a new one in without a huge outlay would be a boost for United.
That said, they have to get Laimer if they think he is the right man, not just because he is cheap, although we have already written how Declan Rice’s reported £150 million asking price should see United step away.