Despite the uncertainties surrounding Jadon Sancho and Antony, Manchester United are apparently not interested in signing Anwar El Ghazi and will not pursue the former Aston Villa winger.
Manchester United have decided not to sign Anwar El Ghazi, whose services had been offered to the club by his agent as an emergency short-term substitute, according to The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell. The Red Devils have other plans to address their persistent right-wing dilemma, which has been exacerbated by the uncertainty surrounding the expensively manufactured wing combination Antony and Jadon Sancho.
On Monday night, shocking rumours surfaced stating that United were considering an emergency deal for the former Aston Villa winger before Wednesday’s Premier League roster submission deadline.
The right-winger scored nine goals in 33 games for PSV before his contract was terminated, and he only played twice on loan at Everton in 2021-22 before that, but it was at Villa Park that he made his name. He had 26 goals and 16 assists in 119 games for the Midlands club, playing a key role in their promotion back to the top flight in 2019 and helping them stay there for the next two seasons.
Although he would have been another of the Red Devils’ most incredible quick solutions, following in the footsteps of Wout Weghorst, Sergio Reguilon, and Odion Ighalo, United boss Ten Hag never expected to be in such a situation. A confluence of unforeseen events has conspired to leave United short in a key offensive position as they attempt to resurrect their stalled season.
The Dutchman will be without Antony, his favorite option for the right-wing position, for the foreseeable future after they mutually agreed on a leave of absence so he could respond to charges of abuse from three previous lovers in Brazilian media.
The 23-year-old has adamantly denied any wrongdoing and has made a point of establishing his innocence in public while supporting the inquiry on social media and in a television interview. Meanwhile, England international Sancho’s Old Trafford job is in jeopardy after openly accusing Ten Hag of lying about his bad training performance after being dropped for the defeat against Arsenal.
Nonetheless, United have passed up the opportunity to recruit El Ghazi on an emergency short-term contract because Ten Hag is satisfied with his alternatives.
While Sancho’s future is uncertain, United have Fecundo Pellestri and Alejandro Garnacho in key positions. The 21-year-old Uruguayan, in instance, came off the bench against Wolves and Tottenham, but he could have an opportunity against Brighton this weekend to prove to Ten Hag that he deserves more opportunities.
It’s safe to say that if United had chosen to recruit a stop-gap acquisition from the free agency market rather than use him, the youngster’s confidence would have suffered. Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes can both play on the flanks if needed, while Amad Diallo, a specialist right-winger who had a fantastic season last year, can also play on the flanks.
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