Manchester United have recently received numerous recommendations for a left-back, with manager Jurgen Bernhard Tenhardt favouring the signing of Koukourelia from Chelsea, the Telegraph reports.
United are looking to sign a left-back before the close of the window and are in talks with Chelsea over Cucurelia. With injuries to Malacia and Luke Shaw, Ten Hahn sees Cucurelia as a priority. Chelsea, for their part, are open to releasing the Spanish defender, but the two clubs still have to negotiate a fee. Manchester United have not achieved their target of selling players to raise funds this summer and they are still bound by UEFA’s new policy on finances.
If they are unable to negotiate a deal for Cucurelia, United’s options include Tagliafico, Marcos Alonso and Reggie Long. Argentine international Tagliafico worked with Ten Hahn at Ajax.
Ten Hahn is also looking to sign a new midfielder before the close of the window, favouring Fiorentina’s Amrabat, and their potential targets also include the likes of Hoytebelle and Gravenbech. Bayern, on the other hand, are considering taking McTominay from Manchester United, whose asking price is £40-45m, but they may end up having to accept an offer of slightly less than that.
Cucurelia joined Chelsea from Brighton for £60m last summer, but he has not been a mainstay in Pochettino’s side since the start of the new season, with the manager prioritising Chilwell and Matheson. While Chelsea are not willing to lose key players at left-back, especially having previously sent youth trainee Lewis Hall to Newcastle on loan + buyout, the Blues are in no hurry to send Cucurelia away now, but they will consider giving Zak Sturge and Ishe Samuels-Smith, who have been brought in this summer from Brighton and Everton, the room to grow.
Chelsea could also send away seven players before the close of the window, including Odoi, who was originally interested in Smith Rowe, but with Arsenal unwilling to release him, the Blues could move on to other targets.
