Manchester United’s first summer under Ineos control could be a classic case of not only ‘what you know’ but ‘who you know‘ too.
With Melvin Bard, Khephren Thuram and Jean-Clair Todibo linked, the Red Devils interest in a trio of Nice stars should – in theory – be boosted by that Sir Jim Ratcliffe-led takeover. Nice and Manchester United have a common owner these days, after all, and it’s not exactly uncommon to see such clubs trade players on a pretty regular basis.
See the Red Bull-controlled Salzburg and Leipzig, for instance. Or Manchester City’s impending signing of Girona winger Savio.
Manchester United’s pursuit of Argentine starlet Aaron Anselmino, meanwhile, could also be aided by connections made in the market.
Manchester United may have advantage over Chelsea
A report earlier this week via HITC explained that Man United watched Anselmino score the winner during Boca Juniors’ 1-0 victory over Paraguayan outfit Sportivo Trinidense in the Copa Sudamerica last week.
Competition will be fierce, however, for a player who has a £15 million release clause in his contract. Atletico Madrid, Marseille and perennial talent-spotters Borussia Dortmund are also in hot pursuit of Anselmino.
Fortunately, Man United have a trump card up their sleeve. Boca Juniors, according to the Boca Noticias website, want to bring Facundo Pellistri to La Bombonera this summer. President and Albiceleste icon Juan Roman Riquelme believes the 22-year-old winger would be the perfect partner for Boca’s veteran centre-forward; a certain Edinson Cavani.
It only makes sense, then, for United to leverage Boca’s Pellistri interest to their advantage; the winger crossing the ocean, albeit maybe only on loan, with Anselmino moving in the other direction. Like with the 18-year-old centre-half, Pellistri is unlikely to be short of offers, particularly after a lively spell at Granada.
“In that last two games, we have seen (why we wanted) Facundo to be here so much. He was the profile of player we wanted,” Granada sporting director Matteo Tognozzi told El Observador.
“He rejected many teams to come here.”
Pellistri and Anselmino swap would work
The £9 million signing from Penarol scored and provided an assist during a thrilling 3-3 draw away to Barcelona not so long ago. A performance which will not have gone unnoticed amongst the array of clubs keen on the Man United misfit.
Anselmino, meanwhile, has been likened to compatriot and United favourite Lisandro Martinez. A first-team regular already at such a young age, TuttoSport believe that Anselmino could potentially be the first of many players in the coming years to join the Old Trafford outfit and then move to Nice on loan in an attempt to fast-track their development, with Ratcliffe seemingly keen to embrace the sort of multi-club model that has worked wonders for rivals Man City.
