Having struggled to find a consistent form of late, Manchester United will be looking to strengthen their squad this January. As always, they are linked with many high profile players, as well as some of a lower caliber. Recent transfer windows have frustrated many United fans as the manager has lacked board backing and they have failed to land many top targets. This window they have prioritized two players to try to land sign a couple of top talents. Will the trend continue this January, or will they break the pattern and sign those they are aiming to?
Manchester United Top Two Transfer Targets
Manchester United Interest in Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish has been a shining light in what has been a fairly underwhelming return to the Premier League for Aston Villa. They currently sit in 17th, one point above the relegation zone, from which they recently escaped due to a good run of form. Without Grealish, Villa would surely be doomed to relegation, and they may well lose him this transfer window.
Many clubs, including United, are lining up to get his signature, and the Manchester side have named him one of their top two targets this window. He can play in many attacking roles such as attacking midfield and left-wing, as well as some more defensive like central midfield. It seems most likely that United would play him either in the centre of midfield or just in front of that in attacking midfield. This would make him a great buy.
Creativity
One thing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side has been lacking this season is creativity – something which Grealish specializes in. An injured Paul Pogba left United with Scott McTominay, Fred, Andreas Pereira, and Nemanja Matic as central midfield options. None of these provide much creativity, and bring nowhere near the quality and class of Paul Pogba. Without Pogba, the Red Devils have looked devoid of creativity this season. This means they have not been able to break teams down.
The introduction of a player like Jack Grealish would bring some much-needed inventiveness to the team. He already has five assists this season, more than every Manchester United player. That figure is even more impressive when you consider that Aston Villa is a team without a great deal of attacking quality.
Goal Scorer
Not only is Jack Grealish Villa’s top assist maker, he is also their top goal scorer. He tends to score from just inside the penalty box. This is an area from which United have scored from, but have not been clinical.
Grealish has impeccable technique. He can bend shots into the back of the net from positions where there is not much-attacking potential. He can also score from outside the box and is capable of finishing from close in like a clinical striker.
His goal scoring record would put him third in comparison to United’s players, behind only their two strikers. He would surely be a great fit for this Manchester United side.
Manchester United Interest in James Maddison
James Maddison has been an instrumental part of Leicester City’s incredible season. They are currently second only to Liverpool, with 14 wins and 46 goals scored. They managed to thrash Southampton 9-0 at St Mary’s, and are on course for their second season in the top four.
Maddison has once again shown his worth for the Foxes, catching the eye of many top Premier League clubs. United have been the biggest admirer of the young Englishman, and Solskjaer wants to buy him this month, if possible. Capable of playing in attacking roles both on the left and in the middle, James Maddison would be a great buy for Manchester United.
Passing Prowess
James Maddison is one of the best passers in the league. He is able to play a killer pass through the tightest of angles. The Englishman has played the most key passes in the Leicester City squad this season by a mile. He may only be their third-highest assist maker, but he has created more goal scoring chances than his assist count may suggest.
With Manchester United having struggled to create something out of nothing from the midfield or even play a killer pass, Maddison’s passing prowess would provide the reds with a great outlet.
Wonder Goals
James Maddison’s goals this season have been something to behold. He is Leicester’s second-highest goalscorer this season, with first-place Jamie Vardy the league’s top scorer.
Maddison’s goals, however, have been rather spectacular. With the majority of them coming from outside the box, you can see why. Maddison has the same amount of Premier League goals this season as Manchester United. He also gets a lot of shots off, something which United have failed to do recently.
Both of the aforementioned qualities which James Maddison possesses is why he would be such a quality acquisition for Manchester United.
Will They Help Manchester United Get Champions League Football?
Although nothing is guaranteed, the addition of two skilled, creative, attacking midfielders will surely help United’s bid for Champions League football. They are currently fifth, five points below fourth spot, but with most of the big six looking shaky and inconsistent, any sort of good form could mean that the Red Devils could find themselves playing in Europe’s biggest club competition. This could help them with landing more of their transfer targets-could Maddison and Grealish be the beginning of something big at Manchester United?
Main Photo
