Solskjaer Unhappy, Manchester United Failed to Sign Midfielder Ole Gunnar

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Man United have won five of their 11 games this season and their midfield imbalance was exposed again by Leicester on Saturday.

Pogba was poor at Leicester

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is privately unhappy Manchester United failed to sign a midfielder in the transfer window as he continues to struggle on a proactive partnership.

The Manchester Evening News understands Solskjaer wanted to recruit a midfielder in the summer but a combination of factors prevented United from bolstering the area.

Failure to address the midfield imbalance has already had disastrous consequences, with the pressure mounting on Solskjaer after five wins from 11 games this season. United have lost two of their last three Premier League matches and kept one clean sheet in their last 19.

Sources say the unlikelihood of a midfield signing did not stop United from wanting to buy one and there was agreement within the club structure that a winger and a centre-back should be prioritised. United signed Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane before the sensational re-signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Solskjaer has used seven different midfield combinations since the season started but remains reliant on the partnership of Scott McTominay and Fred, often derided by some supporters. Neither started in the 4-2 battering by Leicester on Saturday.

United held exploratory discussions with the representatives of Eduardo Camavinga but discovered the France international preferred to move to Spain and Camavinga joined Real Madrid on deadline day in August.

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice was deemed unattainable due to his £100million valuation and the length of his contract, which runs until 2024. Amid an emphasis on top-tier additions, the United recruitment department was unable to identify an attainable target without compromising United’s budget.

United were linked with Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka in the German media, but that was a tactic during contract negotiations in order to obtain a higher salary for Goretzka, who signed an extension until 2026 last month. United quickly denied spurious reports they were interested in signing Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco and the 21-year-old partnered Paul Pogba in France’s Nations League final win over Spain.

The club also did not receive a single serious offer for Pogba, so were unable to justify the expense of a marquee midfield signing when the department was already teeming. McTominay and Nemanja Matic agreed new contracts last year, when United signed Donny van de Beek, and Fred has been a regular Premier League starter this season. Andreas Pereira and James Garner are out on season-long loans.

Pogba, 28, is out of contract in June and sources close to the player say he has shown no inclination to sign a new deal with United. Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, said last month the Frenchman could rejoin Juventus next year.

United have invested £461.3million in transfer fees on 14 players during Solskjaer’s tenure.

Tags: SOLSKJAER UNHAPPY