Man Utd send scouts to watch €80m star ahead of January swoop

Manchester United are planning to send scouts to Portugal to watch Sporting CP defender Zeno Debast in action.

The Red Devils are putting plans in place for the winter window after a massive summer that saw them shell out north of €250 million on new recruits.

Several members of the club’s ‘Bomb Squad’ were offloaded to alleviate concerns over Premier League spending rules, although not every unwanted player managed to secure a permanent move away.

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho could return to Old Trafford next summer, as could Rasmus Hojlund, but that is unlikely given that his loan contains a conditional purchase obligation that is fully expected to be triggered.

Despite the massive outlay on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Senne Lammens and Diego Leon, Man Utd were ready to splash the cash on Carlos Baleba, which suggests that there is still money to go around.

Man Utd target Debast

Man Utd remain keen on adding Baleba in 2026, but a summer move appears more realistic than a transfer in the winter. However, GIVEMESPORT reports that big-money signings could nevertheless arrive in January.

The outlet claims that Sporting CP defender Zeno Debast has been added to Man Utd’s shortlist of future targets and that the club are planning to send scouts to Portugal to watch him in action.

Ruben Amorim knows the Belgian well from his time in charge of the Lisbon club and feels that he could be an ideal addition to his Man Utd backline.

That said, the 21-year-old boasts an €80m release clause, which means that he will be anything but a bargain for the Red Devils should they indeed look to sign him mid-season.

It is not set in stone yet that Man Utd will bring in a centre-back reinforcement in the winter, but they are trying to position themselves to sign Debast should their defensive frailties persist in the coming months of the season.

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