Manchester United considered a move for Marcus Thuram in January and during the summer window before signing Rasmus Hojlund.
According to Fabrizio Romano via Caught Offside, Marcus Thuram was a concrete target for Manchester United. The Red Devils considered a move for the 26-year-old before paying big to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta.
One of the topics of discussion surrounding Manchester United’s transfer business was the lack of funds. Erik ten Hag did end the window by spending more than 160 million on new players, but the manager wanted more incomings than he managed to bring in.
For starters, Manchester United failed to sign a new defender but did manage to bring veteran Jonny Evans on a short-term deal. Sergio Reguilon also arrived on loan from Tottenham after Luke Shaw’s injury, but that’s not what the manager wanted.
Additionally, Manchester United had to strengthen their midfield, as fans pushed the club to sign a proper central player. Instead, they spent a chunk of their budget on Mason Mount and then left it late to sign Sofyan Amrabat on loan.
A new striker was Ten Hag’s top priority in the window. Rasmus Hojlund arrived from Atalanta in a big-money move, but the Danish star was not their first target. Manchester United had explored the market for other names like Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen earlier. PSG pair Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani also emerged on their radar.
Marcus Thuram was also a target. Fabrizio Romano suggested the 26-year-old had been under consideration during January, and the Red Devils continued to keep track after that market shut. The Frenchman ended up joining Inter Milan on a free transfer but could have proved a top signing for Manchester United.
Romano said, “Finally, another French player discussed as a possibility by United was Marcus Thuram. He was a free agent this summer before moving to Inter, and the Red Devils also looked at him back in January, knowing he would be out of contract in the summer.”
“On that occasion they decided to sign Wout Weghorst instead, and again in the summer they considered Thuram but decided to go after a different kind of player, more of a traditional no.9, and that’s why they decided to go for Rasmus Hojlund.”
Hojlund seems like an effective signing and part of their long-term thinking. Signing Thuram would have allowed Ten Hag some room to sign a defender and a fullback. Instead, they spent a chunk of their budget on the Danish striker.
Thuram has started life at Inter Milan brightly and is the replacement for Romelu Lukaku. The Italian giants are currently sitting at the top of the Serie A standings. Had he come to Manchester United, Thuram would have improved this side significantly with his physicality and experience.