If you believe what you read in the press and Metro to be precise, you’ll know that Felipe Anderson’s proposed switch to Manchester United seems to be edging ever closer with Lazio looking at Stephan El Shaarawy as a replacement.
But is it all really as simple as that?
Perhaps the annual Nico Gaitan rumours have haunted our resident Red Devils too much down the years but a few of our United contingent are refusing to get carried away at all costs regarding the Anderson rumours knowing that stories such as this have proved to be flaky in the past.
With United struggling for goals from all areas of the field so far this season, adding another attacking player this month seems a sensible move and when you consider the club didn’t end up replacing Angel Di Maria, you can see how another could fit in.
In Anderson, the £36.9 million-rated Brazilian international isn’t coming cheap and only boasts one senior international cap with his country although he is critically acclaimed over in Serie A.
Like any signing, the scrutiny is huge at Old Trafford however and considering Memphis Depay has failed to scale the heights he set at PSV Eindhoven so far this term, Anderson would have to hit the ground running like Anthony Martial did to justify his fee.
But say the Anderson deal were to fall through? Just who would van Gaal target then? Here’s five men who he could turn to in such an emergency.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five Felipe Anderson alternatives for Manchester United to consider this month.
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Riyad Mahrez
We read just before Christmas that Riyad Mahrez is still happy to remain at Leicester City despite his incredible campaign so far this term but we feel it could be now or never for him to make the step up to a club such as Manchester United.
Bursting onto the scene with aplomb in 2015, Mahrez has earned a reputation as one of the most tricky wingers in the Premier League and considering the Foxes have just signed Birmingham City’s Demarai Gray, we wonder whether the exciting young Englishman could be a potential replacement.
Algerian international Mahrez would command a handsome fee with Claudio Ranieri’s side surely going to hold any interested party to ransom but we’ve seen that United aren’t frightened of splashing the cash in recent transfer windows.
Adnan Januzaj
In midweek, Adnan Januzaj’s season-long loan spell to Borussia Dortmund was terminated with the Belgian international returning to Old Trafford after a disappointing temporary spell in the Bundesliga.
Making just three league starts for Thomas Tuchel’s side in 2015/16, Januzaj has been recalled due to an obvious lack of game time and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be thrust straight back into Louis van Gaal’s line-up or sent out on another loan.
But a few of our resident Red Devils fans believe he could do a decent job for United in the second half of the season.
Having already contributed to the current campaign with a goal away at Aston Villa in that Friday night fixture (remember?), United fans have been frustrated that the likes of Javier Hernandez were allowed to leave after a falling out with the Dutchman and thus, they believe Januzaj deserves more time to prove himself as an exciting young talent.
Goncalo Guedes
The Cristiano Ronaldo return to Manchester United rumours haven’t actually done the rounds in the tavern for a little while now and with those tired rumours left for another day, one man who is billed to be the ‘new Ronaldo’ is this man Goncalo Guedes.
In typically premature fashion, Metro claimed United were closing in on his signature back on January 1st but that said, he is a player the Red Devils could try and mould into a future superstar.
Despite being just 19-years-old, the Portuguese international is one of Benfica’s biggest talents on their books at the moment and how many times have we seen young players fly the nest of the Primeira Liga for bigger and better things?
It would take an almighty fee to land a player of Guedes’ age and potential but United have the funds to do it.
James Rodriguez
It only seems like yesterday that Colombia’s James Rodriguez was the darling of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in a tournament that ultimately earned him his huge move to Real Madrid as a Galactico after his Monaco stint.
But fast forward to 2016 and James isn’t the indispensable force everybody thought he was going to be at the Bernabeu and Zinedine Zidane and the Los Blancos hierarchy will have a lot of thinking to do regarding his situation this month.
We read in the Daily Star recently that James could be allowed a departure to Manchester United in the summer but who knows, perhaps the Red Devils should sanction a cheeky bid this January?
Jese
With James Rodriguez looking like more of a summer target realistically, somebody who might be easier to attain ahead of schedule this month is his Real Madrid team-mate Jese.
Jese has long been linked with a switch to England after being on the fringes at the Bernabeu for quite some time but surely there has to be a time whereby the uncapped Spanish star looks to try and test himself with more first team football elsewhere?
On December 4th, Metro claimed Arsenal were to be offered Jese’s signing this month but perhaps United should be getting in on the act of luring a player who can play in multiple roles, either up top or on the flanks such as Anthony Martial?
