Manchester United are linked with potential January or summer approaches for Bayern Munich pair Leon Goretzka and Leroy Sane as squad strengthening continues at Old Trafford.
United are still in the early stages of a new chapter following the hires of Dan Ashworth as the club’s first-ever sporting director, as well as Jason Wilcox as technical director and key INEOS figures Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc joining the football club board.
The club moved quickly in the summer to land Real Madrid target Leny Yoro and were applauded for the deal that saw Noussair Mazraoui arrive from Bayern Munich. Now, having also signed Matthijs de Ligt from the German giants, United could return to Bayern.
Sky Sport Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has reported that both Goretzka and Sane are being “monitored” amid contracts that expire in 2026 and 2025 respectively.
Even after spending big money to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain, it is thought to be “possible” that United will look to sign another defensive midfielder in January. There continues to be speculation about Casemiro, who will turn 33 in February.
But while Goretzka could fit the bill and is an “interesting candidate”, his preference for now is stay put beyond winter. That wouldn’t necessarily rule out a later summer approach, though.
Sane is currently on course to become a free agent at the end of the season and would be available for a pre-contract from 1 January, but is also “continuing talks” with Bayern over a new deal.
Both Goretzka, 29, and Sane, 28, have grown accustomed to success at Bayern. The former arrived on a free transfer from Schalke in 2018 and has won five Bundesliga titles in six seasons, as well as the Champions League in 2020. Sane joined in 2020 from Manchester City, where he’d played a key role in the club’s 2017/18 and 2018/19 Premier League triumphs, in a £54m transfer package.
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