Napoli have advanced in talks to sign a Manchester United player, as Rúben Amorim now has to prepare for life without him.
With just over one week before the end of the summer transfer window, Manchester United have yet to sell a player, and the only senior outgoing is Marcus Rashford to Barcelona on a season-long loan.
Jason Wilcox, the Director of Football, has been tasked with the challenge of selling Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho before the end of the transfer window.
The four outcasts, like Rashford, were left out of Rúben Amorim’s pre-season squad for the Premier League Summer Series in the United States, but they still remain at the club after the start of the season.
Selling Garnacho will be the priority as he is in direct talks with Chelsea, but the other four have all had offers from various clubs and turned them down for different reasons.
It could be a busy week for the transfer team, as more first-team players could still leave the club, and more incomings haven’t been ruled out.
Napoli send contract for Hojlund
Rasmus Højlund is another who looks set to leave Old Trafford this summer, despite starting the majority of United’s pre-season as the centre forward and being labelled an “important” player by Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu. Once the Benjamin Šeško deal was completed, it was all but over for Hojlund at United.
The Dane was left out of the squad to face Arsenal on the opening day of the season, as he looks set for a move away from the club, with Napoli most interested as it stands.
In an attempt to sign Højlund before more clubs submit an offer, “Napoli are set to send contract proposal to Rasmus Højlund as talks with Manchester United are proceeding,” says Fabrizio Romano.
The decision is now said to be up to Højlund, with several other clubs interested in the striker despite his poor form in front of goal last season.
How does Amorim prepare for life without Hojlund?
With Šeško joining the club, playing time for Højlund was always going to be reduced, but he looks set to leave United before the end of the window, and Amorim must prepare for life without him.
Joshua Zirkzee will be considered a natural backup for the Slovenian centre forward, but he is a very different profile to Šeško, as he prefers to drop off the defensive line, rather than run beyond.
This means if Amorim wants to play a similar man to Šeško, he could either play Matheus Cunha as the striker and play Mason Mount as the left-sided attacking midfielder, or start Chido Obi as the main centre forward.
Obi will be hungry for more minutes after making eight appearances last season, but he has started the season with the under-21s side.
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