Man United scouts tracking Bayern Munich star ahead of January swoop
Ruben Amorim has endured a turbulent start to the season so far amid ongoing speculation about his job and calls for him to be sacked.
However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has lent Amorim his public backing, insisting he could be given as long as three years to turn things around at Old Trafford.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was cited as an example of patience paying off, and they have now set their sights on the January window to help aid the process.
United spent around £220million during the summer window to bring in the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, and they are not done yet.
Concerns have lingered about a number of key areas in the squad, notably in midfield, as Football Insider revealed Man United are desperate to sign a defensive midfielder.
Man United set sights on Aleksandar Pavlovic
As a result of their attempts to land a new midfielder, United have set their sights on multiple big-name stars including Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Morten Hjulmand.
Now, they are believed to have set their sights on Bayern Munich star Aleksandar Pavlovic, with the scouting department keeping a close eye on his displays.
That is according to former Man United chief scout Mick Brown, who worked at Old Trafford for over a decade during their most successful period, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Pavlovic is seen as the right style of midfielder for Amorim.
“We know Amorim wants to sign a midfielder in January,” he told Football Insider.
“They need somebody who gets about the pitch, isn’t afraid to put their foot in, has a drive and energy about him to make a difference all over the pitch.
“But also somebody who can keep possession of the ball and help them advance up the pitch because at the moment they’re relying very much on Bruno Fernandes.
“Ideally they would get somebody like Moises Caicedo who does a bit of everything at Chelsea.
“They’ve been having a look at a lot of options across Europe, we’ve spoken before about players Wharton for example, from the Premier League.
“The Bayern Munich lad Pavlovic is somebody on their radar and somebody they have been looking at.
“Whether or not they’d be willing to let him go, that will be up to United to find out, but they’re watching him and a number of other options for the January window.”
Pavlovic has previously been compared to Michael Carrick, while his defensive input has improved over the last year as he becomes more of a regular for Bayern.
Adam Wharton is on Man United’s list of targets
Man United’s pursuit of a new midfielder has seen them assess a number of options, with Crystal Palace‘s Wharton also believed to be high on their list.
Palace chairman Steve Parish revealed he expects Wharton will want to play Champions League football at some stage in the future, potentially ruling out United.
In the meantime, the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid are believed to be keeping close tabs on his performances with a view to completing a big-money move.
Football Insider revealed on 10 October that Wharton is happy at Crystal Palace and does not plan to pursue a move mid-way through the season.
That situation could change in the summer given the level of interest in him, but United may be hard pushed to compete with their rivals for his signature.
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