Man Utd dealt blow as top Ten Hag target not interested in January transfer

Erik ten Hag could be handed a blow in his bid to bring a new midfielder to Manchester United, with one of his top targets reportedly not willing to join the club in January.

United already have one eye on the transfer window after seeing multiple stars already pick up injuries this season, with Kobbie Mainoo the latest player to face some time on the sidelines.

The poor start to the season has also left United looking for ways to bolster their squad and Leon Goretzka was believed to be a target after finding himself on the fringes of the Bayern Munich team this year.

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Goretzka has played just one minute under Vincent Kompany and United have held a long-standing interest in the 29-year-old, having considered him as a target during the summer.

United signed Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern during the summer and the Premier League giants had hoped to return to the Bavarians for another player in Goretzka but, according to German journalist Christian Falk, any approach may have to wait.

While Goretzka is reportedly open to moving to United, the German international is determined to remain at Bayern this season and fight for minutes, with Falk claiming that a move ‘could be a step’ for the midfielder next summer instead.

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Goretzka still has two years remaining on his contract at Bayern and the German side are keen to get his wages, reportedly worth around €17 million annually, off the books.

Despite being a regular feature for Bayern last season, Goretzka has found himself on the fringes of Kompany’s side this year but the midfielder has not given up hope of continuing his career at the team he joined in 2018.

Ten Hag has been looking to restructure his midfield, having splashed the cash on Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, while there are still question marks over the long-term futures of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen at Old Trafford.

United have also considered moves for Leroy Sane and Alphonso Davies, both of whom are out of contract at Bayern next summer, although they will face competition for both players.