Manchester United were offered at least four other midfielders before deciding to sign Bayern Munich’s Marcel Sabitzer on loan, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

Atletico Madrid (and ex-Chelsea) star Saul Niguez, his teammate Yannick Carrasco, former Real Madrid midfielder Isco and Lyon’s Houssem Aouar were all turned down in favour of Sabitzer:

Isco, Saul Niguez, Houssem Aouar & Yannick Carrasco have all been offered to Manchester United today.

But the club have decided to pursue a deal for Marcel Sabitzer instead. pic.twitter.com/q9JfSXNato

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 31, 2023

It does look as if United made the right choice in pursuing Sabitzer above the alternatives. At 28 years of age, the Austrian international is very much in his prime and should be able to fill the void left by the injured Christian Eriksen.

Niguez, in contrast, struggled during his time on loan at Chelsea last season, while Carrasco would not have been a like-for-like replacement considering he is best deployed as a winger/wingback.

Isco would have been a better fit, but the fact that he left his most recent team, Sevilla, after just six months would have raised alarm bells among United’s recruitment team, while Aouar’s stock has fallen sharply after being a much-in-demand player a few years ago.