Man Utd given green light to sign £30m left-back in January as he says yes to transfer
According to reports, Manchester United have an opportunity to sign RB Leipzig star David Raum in January because he is keen on joining.
Raum was among a host of left-backs linked with Man Utd during the summer transfer window.
Newcastle United standout Lewis Hall was widely reported to be Man Utd’s preferred target to be Luke Shaw’s long-term replacement, but they were priced out of a move for the England international.
The Magpies were keen to keep Hall after selling Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, and they demanded around £70m to sell him.
With Man Utd spending around £150m to sign Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, they decided against pursuing Hall, and he has since signed a new Newcastle contract.
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However, Man Utd could be rueing this decision because injury-prone Shaw has already missed games, while Patrick Dorgu has struggled while providing cover.
Therefore, Man Utd could re-enter the market for a left-back in January, with Raum among their options.
David Raum ‘says yes’ to joining Man Utd
28-year-old Raum, who has 39 Germany caps, has made 149 appearances for RB Leipzig since 2022, and he was named captain last year.
Despite this, Raum’s long-term future is in doubt because he has entered the final year of his current contract, and our colleagues at TEAMtalk are reporting that the £30m-rated left-back has ‘said yes’ to Man Utd ahead of a potential January move.
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The report explains:
‘Sources claim he has given a green light to a potential switch to Man Utd, if the club’s interest develops, and that stance is understood to remain unchanged as his contract situation develops. ‘Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer has confirmed that extension talks with Raum and his representatives are planned, with the club determined to avoid a free transfer. No agreement has been reached, however, and Raum has kept his focus on performances under new head coach Martín Demichelis. For Man Utd, the pressure on Leipzig and Raum being open to the move makes him a realistic target for January.’
FC Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde is another option, and a report from Football Insider claims they have a better chance of signing him in January than they did in the summer.
The report claims: ‘The Spanish giants were demanding a £30million fee for the 22-year-old in the summer, which made it “difficult” for United as they had already spent big money on midfield reinforcements.
‘Balde made it clear that he was perfectly happy to stay at Barcelona, but he has since received just 12 minutes of action in La Liga. Sources say that the starlet’s lack of football has boosted the Red Devils’ chances of prising him away this winter, as he is more open to the idea of a move.’
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