Manchester United have made some curious signings in recent times – and so nearly made another one early in the 2023-24 season.
The transfer business at Old Trafford has been slammed over the years.
Manchester United just haven’t got it right often enough and have made some curious moves in the market.
The deal to bring Odion Ighalo to the club was a strange one, with the Nigerian arriving from China and failing to score a Premier League goal in 12 games.
Now in Saudi Arabia, Ighalo’s move was a punt for a United side in desperate need of another striker in 2020.
Then there is Wout Weghorst, a striker who struggled at Burnley before arriving at United in January 2023.
The Dutchman also failed to score a Premier League goal, although his work rate was largely praised before heading off to Hoffenheim.
Anwar El Ghazi on Manchester United move
Those deals were strange in terms of the players not quite being at United’s level, but they were stop-gap signings to fill a void.
United almost went back to the well of odd signings in September amid links to Anwar El Ghazi.
Fresh from the Jadon Sancho row, Erik ten Hag was ‘weighing up’ a deal to sign former Aston Villa winger El Ghazi on a free transfer.
Sancho’s exile left United short out wide but with the transfer window closed, Ten Hag was limited to considering free agents like El Ghazi.
The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell then suggested that whilst El Ghazi was been offered to United, where was no real interest in striking a deal.
El Ghazi has a slightly different version of events though.
Speaking to BBC Sport’s Shaman Hafez, El Ghazi claims that there were real talks with United over a potential deal.
El Ghazi claims that an agreement was ‘close’ with United struggling to find a winger outside of the transfer market, but a move just didn’t materialise.
“It was true we were in talks but there was nothing concrete. I was a free agent after leaving PSV and they were struggling to find wingers,” said El Ghazi.
“They were exploring the market. It was close but unfortunately it didn’t go through,” he added.
Where did El Ghazi go?
El Ghazi headed off to Germany with Mainz, but he lasted just over a month at the club before leaving.
Social media posts saw El Ghazi receive a suspension and he was ultimately let go.
El Ghazi has not returned to football since and it’s unclear just where the 29-year-old’s next opportunity will arrive from after months out of the game.
Eight goals in 23 Eredivisie games in the 2022-23 season was actually a decent return for El Ghazi and perhaps a manager out there will look to get him back on track.
A move to United would have been rather bizarre though and would have left United fans wondering just what was going on.
El Ghazi’s last Premier League stint saw him play twice in a torrid loan spell at Everton before heading back to the Netherlands.
United may have been desperate after the Sancho episode but few fans would feel that a boat was missed by not signing El Ghazi.