Pranav Nair
Manchester United missed out on Paris Saint-Germain ace Idrissa Gueye in the summer
According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United failed to drive home a deal that would have seen them land Idrissa Gueye in the summer transfer window.
The Paris Saint-Germain star is one of the best defensive players in Ligue 1 and also has experience of playing in the Premier League. He spent four seasons with Aston Villa and Everton before moving to Paris in 2019.
United’s recruitment negotiator Matt Judge focussed his attentions on Gueye following concerns regarding Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba. The former is not getting any younger while the latter’s future at the club remains uncertain.
Judge believes 32-year-old Gueye could be open to a return to England following PSG’s capture of Georginio Wijnaldum. While the Red Devils were interested, they failed to put in a bid for the player.
The club United chose against making a firm offer because Matic, Pogba and Jesse Lingard all stayed at Old Trafford. Given that Matic is our lone specialist defensive midfielder, that decision has proven to be poor.
The United midfield has looked lost at times this season and lack a defensive lynchpin who can anchor the base. This was brutally exposed by Liverpool in the 5-0 hammering at Old Trafford last week.
To rub it in, Gueye continues to play a major role for PSG in Ligue 1. He has so far scored four goals and has in fact made life difficult for Wijnaldum at the Parc des Princes. It would appear that United missed a trick here.
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At 32, Gueye would not have been a long term option for United. However, he could have played a major role for us this season as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer works to incorporate all of our new signings into the side. Alas, that opportunity has now passed.
