Manchester United have turned down the chance to sign FOUR players on a frantic transfer deadline day.
The Red Devils were initially expected to have a quiet end to the window, but Christian Eriksen's ankle injury has forced to Erik ten Hag to find a replacement. Eriksen limped out of Saturday's 3-1 win against Reading and is not expected to play again until April.
As Eriksen is a key player for United, Ten Hag has been keen to secure a replacement before Tuesday's deadline. A loan move for Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer quickly became their preferred choice and the Austria international will join until the end of the season.
Following news of Eriksen's injury, it is believed several agents called the Red Devils to try to persuade them to sign their clients. As reported by Sky Sports News, the four players in question were Isco, Saul Niguez, Houssem Aouar and Yannick Carrasco.
Yet it is believed United were not interested in signing any of these players. If their bid to loan Sabitzer was to fail, United may have made a swoop for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Daichi Kamada, who is out of contract in the summer. According to the Daily Mail, United have enquired about the Japan international's availability. He is 26 years old.
But Sabitzer has always been at the top of their list. The 28-year-old has featured in all but three of Bayern's Bundesliga games this season, but most of those outings have come from the bench. He would play more regularly at United.
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Sabitzer, who has won 68 senior caps for his country, is an experienced campaigner. He has played more than 400 senior games at club level in Austria and Germany. He was a key part of the RB Leipzig side that won promotion to the Bundesliga in May 2016.
Sabitzer joined Bayern from Leipzig in the summer of 2021 and won the Bundesliga title last season. He was named in both the Champions League's Squad of the Season and the Bundesliga's Team of the Season during the 2019/20 campaign.
In terms of the alternatives, Isco is a free agent after his Sevilla contract was terminated by mutual consent in December. The Spain international, 30, has made more than 500 senior club appearances - winning five Champions Leagues - and is an attacking midfielder.
Saul, 28, has played regularly for Atletico Madrid this season after spending last term on loan at Chelsea. The Spain international still has three-and-a-half years left on his existing deal but is no longer as highly regarded in Madrid as he once was.
Aouar, 24, is another central midfielder who could be a like-for-like replacement for Eriksen. The France international has just half-a-season remaining on his Lyon contract and is believed to be a transfer target for a number of Premier League clubs.
Carrasco, 29, also plays regularly for Atletico and has 18 months remaining on his existing deal. Like Isco, Carrasco is not a central midfielder by trade and has made a name for himself as a winger in LaLiga. Carrasco represents Belgium at international level.
