The latest transfer news from Old Trafford as Manchester United look to add two defenders to their squad.Manchester United’s attempts to boost their defensive ranks received mixed news on Wednesday morning after reported target Jean-Clair Todibo was said to have been pushed towards joining a Premier League rival.
The departures of veteran centre-back Raphael Varane and academy graduate Willy Kambwala weakened Erik ten Hag’s defensive options and there has been a three-pronged attempt to bring in reinforcements in recent weeks. The Red Devils have made significant progress over a £52million deal for Lille’s highly-rated youngster Leny Yoro, who is believed to be heading to Manchester to undergo a medical over the next 48 hours. Talks over a move Bayern Munich star Matthijs de Ligt are also said to be progressing well and there could be some progress over that deal over the coming days as the Netherlands international closes in on a reunion with his former Ajax head coach at Old Trafford.
Any possible agreement for Todibo was always going to be complicated after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s role as a shareholder at the 13-time Premier League champions was confirmed earlier this year. The Ineos supremo is a majority shareholder at Ligue 1 club Nice and UEFA’s multi-club regulations seemed to have put a block on any deal to take the twice-capped France international to Old Trafford. Ratcliffe hit out at the regulations in an interview with Bloomberg last month, saying: “They’ve said we can sell him to another Premiership club,’ Ratcliffe said. ‘But we can’t sell to Manchester United. But that’s not fair on the player and I don’t see what that achieves.”
