The summer transfer window may have closed, but Manchester United’s recruitment team are already looking to the January transfer window for further new signings.
At the start of the summer, United were prioritising recruiting to their attack, with other areas of focus being in midfield and in goal.
As such, Ruben Amorim now has three new attackers in the form of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, with Senne Lammens also joining in goal on deadline day.
Ultimately United didn’t recruit a new midfield signing, with The Red Devils confident in their current options, also having Sekou Kone rising through the Under-21s side.
However, new reports from GiveMeSport have suggested that it’s Amorim’s defence which are the next area of focus, with Sporting CP’s Zeno Debast being included to their long-term shortlist.
Debast arrived in the Portuguese capital from RSC Anderlecht last summer, and by the winter had established himself as one of the club’s core central defenders.
The 21-year-old made 48 appearances, and even grabbed two goals and four assists in helping Sporting CP to win the Liga Portugal and the Taca de Portugal.
Now, United are looking to set up a reunion between Debast and Amorim, with the centre-back having he eyes of United’s scouts on him before trying to bring him to Old Trafford as soon as the winter transfer window.
However, the centre-back is going to be costly, with a release clause of around £70 million due to his potential already shinning through as well as youth being on his side.
With United having already spent £228.8 million this summer, only offsetting that with £60 million from the sales of Alejandro Garnacho and Antony, it’s unknown at this stage what United’s winter budget is going to look like especially as they’re without European football and have already crashed out of the Carabao Cup.
