Manchester United are reportedly eyeing a summer move for Borussia Dortmund star Julian Weigl after their pursuit of Nemanja Matic has stalled.
According to Daily Mail, Manchester United are reportedly considering a summer move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Weigl. The Red Devils seemed to be close to securing the services of Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic.
However, the deal hinges upon Chelsea’s ability to secure Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco and with that transfer move stalling, Matic’s move to United has also stalled. And the Red Devils have now shortlisted Weigl as a contingency in case the Matic deal breaks down.
Would take Julian Weigl over Fabinho at #mufc any day of the week, kid is already world class and only going to get better.
— Josh (@Martialized) July 6, 2017
Julian Weigl has become an instant favourite at Dortmund after arriving from 1860 Munich in what has proven to be a bargain deal in the summer of 2015. 43 appearances last season saw Weigl be a constant presence in the starting eleven and also enter the radar of clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Weigl has the same skill-set as Sergio Busquets and is being eyed by the Catalans as the Spaniard’s long-term replacement while Real Madrid sought the player as an upgrade to Casemiro. However, the Germany international ended up staying at Westfalenstadion, signing a new long-term contract at the club – a deal that runs till 2021.
Manchester United had Eric Dier and Nemanja Matic chalked down as targets. But, while Matic’s deal has stalled, Tottenham have refused to budge on their transfer stance on Dier, causing United to look elsewhere. However, the Red Devils may just end up profiting.
Julian Weigl: Has made more accurate passes (3968) than any other Bundesliga player since August 2015 https://t.co/B1UImARhIn pic.twitter.com/S24vEgIpSr
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) July 6, 2017
Weigl is the youngest of all transfer targets for the said position and has considerable experience under his belt as well. The player seems to have the highest ceiling of potential among all – something that the interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid seem to vindicate.
The player is currently out till mid-September and any movement by United to secure the player may see Barcelona and Real Madrid revive their interest in him. As of now, the 21-year-old is more an afterthought for United at the moment, with the priority still Nemanja Matic.
However, in case the Matic pursuit fails, we may just see the club go after Weigl, something which could spark a transfer battle for the player.
