Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick keen on signing RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer
According to Bild (h/t Express), Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick is keen on bringing RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer to Old Trafford in the summer after working with the player when he was still employed by the Bundesliga club.
The German was roped in by the Red Devils from Lokomotiv Moscow late last year to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked by the club after a poor string of results that saw the team slip down the Premier League table.
Strengthening the midfield at United is a priority for the club at the end of the season, and the task will be up to the incoming new manager to rope in the best available players to ensure this is done. Rangnick is expected to make way for the new boss when his tenure as head coach expires in the summer.
Laimer could be one of the players that the English club could target, with the Austria international impressing in Germany with his performances in the middle of the pitch for Leipzig over the past few years.
RB Leipzig connections
Rangnick was at Leipzig when they signed the 24-year-old from RB Salzburg in 2017, with the manager said to be an “absolute advocator” for the Austrian if he were to move to United in the summer. Given his connection to the Bundesliga club, he could touch base with his former employers to ascertain whether they are willing to let Laimer leave.
The midfielder is in hot form at the moment, with the player scoring twice and assisting another goal as his team stunned Borussia Dortmund 4-1 at Signal Iduna Park. The Manchester club will have to act quickly if they plan to sign him, however, as Leipzig intends to open talks with him at the end of the campaign to extend his current contract, which runs until next summer.
In a season that has seen first-choice midfielders Fred and Scott McTominay put in underwhelming performances for the club and struggle to take control of proceedings on the pitch, the side have suffered in terms of results.
Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic offer more experience and quality in the middle of the park, but with the former running down his contract at Man United and the latter, not the player he once was, changes are required.
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At 24, Laimer could prove to be a midfield lynchpin for years to come if we manage to secure his services over a long-term contract and given his impressive displays in the Bundesliga this term, he could definitely add some quality to our present midfield.
Although it is not known how much influence Rangnick has on new signings and transfer activity when he moves to a behind-the-scenes role in the summer, we can hope that the 63-year-old is able to use his prior connections with Leipzig to influence a move for Laimer at the end of the season.
