Manchester United decided against making a loan bid for RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner as the club have yet to determine what their priorities are for the January transfer window, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Red Devils were heavily linked with a move for the former Chelsea player, but he now looks set to join Tottenham for the rest of the season. Romano confirmed interest from Erik ten Hag’s side but said:
“Manchester United also considered Werner as a possibility but then they decided not to proceed also because it’s not clear yet what kind of player they want.”
Spurs are expected to pay Werner’s £4.5m a year salary in full for the rest of the campaign and they will have an option to buy the German international for £15m this summer.
INEOS’s arrival is likely to have had an impact
Although United’s Football Director John Murtough remains the Red Devils’ recruitment chief, there has been speculation that he could leave in the near future.
Minority stakeholders INEOS will soon take control of the day-to-day running of the football club and it’s likely that they will want to put their own people in place who will have their own ideas about transfer targets.
What other forwards could United target after missing out on Werner?
Both Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen and Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy have also been linked with transfers to Old Trafford in recent weeks, along with the likes of Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise, PSV’s Johan Bakayoko and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.
However, it remains to be seen how many of these will remain targets if there are changes in the makeup of the recruitment department.
