Man Utd chiefs ‘determined’ to fix major problem in January as Ralf Rangnick to give input

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Manchester United are hoping to sign a new deep-lying midfielder in the January transfer window, with interim boss Ralf Rangnick set to have a say in drawing up the club’s list of targets, according to reports. The Red Devils have been crying out for additional reinforcements in the middle of the park for some time, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer failing to solve the problem before he was relieved of his duties last month.

United were interested in landing a midfielder in the summer transfer window after spending heavily to bring the likes of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane to Old Trafford.

They were linked with plenty of high-profile names, including the likes of Inter Milan playmaker Marcelo Brozovic and Atletico Madrid maestro Saul Niguez, who has since joined Chelsea on a season-long loan deal.

However, the Red Devils opted to channel their remaining funds into a late move for Cristiano Ronaldo after it became apparent that he was planning to leave Juventus.

Their failure to strengthen their midfield ranks has led to Scott McTominay and Fred reprising their usual roles in the engine room this season.

The aforementioned pair have come under fire on a number of recent occasions after struggling to impress since the beginning of the campaign.

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Both players were subjected to plenty of criticism after the heavy defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City and are yet to establish themselves as a top-class partnership with the ability to compete for Premier League titles.

It seems as though United’s transfer priority for the January window could not be clearer as they look to benefit from some additional quality in midfield ahead of the Premier League run-in.

Club chiefs are ‘determined’ to finally bring in at least one new recruit in order to strengthen the position next year, according to the Manchester Evening News.

The report claims that Paul Pogba’s expected departure at the end of the campaign has accelerated the need for United and Rangnick to identify his long-term replacement.

The latter has been tipped to play an important role in helping to find the right candidate before he moves into a consultancy role ahead of next season.

However, United will reportedly be looking to sell one or two players before snapping up any new additions in order to generate some additional funds.

Rangnick has already cast doubt over the possibility of meeting United’s transfer objectives in January, suggesting earlier this month that it will be difficult to sign players in the mid-season market.

“We haven’t spoken about new players and it’s not the time to speak about new players,” Rangnick told reporters.

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“It’s the time to get to know the current squad in detail. This is the major focus for the next couple of weeks, to get to know the players that we have currently.

“The squad is definitely not too small, there are enough players in the squad. Maybe at Christmas or after Christmas, there will be a possible time to speak about possible transfers in the winter.

“In my experience, winter is not the best possible time for sustainable transfers and, with this quality of players we have here, it would in theory only make sense if you can get players who can almost guarantee you more quality.

“As I said from experience, this will be difficult in the winter.”

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