Manchester United could sign a £37 million Premier League star in the summer, although Arsenal may also be interested in a deal.
Manchester United are in for one of the busiest summer transfer windows in the club’s recent history, especially considering they have not decided who will be the head coach for the pre-season and following campaign.
As for incomings, director of football Jason Wilcox will be targeting a left-winger after missing out on Antoine Semenyo in the January transfer window. The switch to the 4-2-3-1 under Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick has made the need for a new left-sided attacker even more prevalent.
A new central defender could also be on the list, with Harry Maguire’s contract expiring at the end of the season. Additionally, United have been linked with several new midfielders, left-backs and centre-forwards.
Going out the Old Trafford door will be Casemiro, who has already confirmed he will leave the club, and potentially several other first-team players. Fellow midfielder Manuel Ugarte has been linked with several new clubs as United explore the midfield market.
United are sure to be busy, but a former coach under Sir Alex Ferguson has now urged the club to save a struggling Premier League star, perhaps solving one of United’s summer needs.
Meulensteen urges United to sign Chelsea defender
Jorrel Hato signed for Chelsea in the summer, having come close to moving to Arsenal. The 19-year-old had captained Ajax as a teenager before leaving for London, as Matthijs de Ligt did before leaving for Turin just a few years ago.
Speaking about his time at Chelsea, former United coach Rene Meulensteen told Metro: “It is a disappointing move for Jorrel Hato because he was absolutely outstanding for Ajax at the time.
“He was very, very young and was the captain, which says a lot about the trust the manager put in him in terms of his personality and his leadership qualities.
“Then a club like Chelsea comes in because they want to pick up all the best players here, there, and everywhere. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they fit in with the way the team wants to play. He’s been one of the guys who hasn’t really settled.”
He continued: “He is also versatile, he can play left-back, centre-back, or as a number six. He is technically very, very good.”
When asked about what Hato should do next, he said: “If I were any Premier League team, including Manchester United, and he were available or became available, I would definitely be looking at him because he is still very young, and there is a lot of potential to unlock.”
Want to stay as up-to-date as possible on the latest Manchester United updates? Add UtdDistrict as a preferred source on Google for news you can rely on.
Would Hato be a good fit for United?
As Meulensteen said, Hato usually plays as a central defender or left-back, but he can also play at the base of midfield.
If he were to join United, Hato could provide Luke Shaw competition at left-back more than anything else, as Patrick Dorgu appears to be considered as more of an attacker than a defender, under Michael Carrick at least.
Read More: Casemiro’s future plan revealed as Manchester United star rejects return to former club
However, Hato plays his best football as a left-sided centre-back, meaning he would be competing with Lisandro Martínez and Ayden Heaven for gametime in his best position. United also have several exciting, young left-footed centre-back prospects, including Daniel Armer and Godwill Kukonki, who can also play at left-back.
If United can strike a good deal, signing Hato as a rotation option for the Champions League or Europa League could make sense, but he will likely cost too much for that, especially if Arsenal reignite their interest.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.