Manchester United have been linked with another winger in Mexico’s Hirving Lozano.
Manchester United could sign just their second Mexican player ever if a transfer for Hirving Lozano is completed after the Olympics, as reports suggest.
The player’s club, Pachuca, has confirmed that negotiations with Manchester United are ongoing. On Sunday, the club’s Vice President made a statement saying, “Already there are negotiations with United – there is still nothing closed though.” Lozano’s father took it a step further by insisting a deal has already been reached and the transfer will occur after the Olympics in August.
If the Red Devils were to complete the move, it would be just their second transfer for a player from Mexico, the first being Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez. The former United striker left during Louis van Gaal’s reign and had a massively impressive season last year with Bayer Leverkusen.
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Lozano has been on the radar of Manchester United head scout Jim Lawlor, the same who found Chicharito, for some time now. Back in March, Pachuca President Jesus Martinez announced that Lawlor had been keeping an eye on several players, including Erick Gutierrez and Rodolfo Pizarro. Per the Manchester Evening News, Martinez said:
"“[The chief scout] has been coming here to do special reports on our players, but especially Chucky [Lozano]. We would love it if he had to go that it would be to a team like Manchester United or Porto.”"
Lozano is an attacking midfielder for Pachuca that can feature on either flank but generally prefers the left side. With his dominant right foot, he likes to cut in and drive at defenders with speed and strength. His playing style mirrors that of Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial of Manchester United.
Last season for the Mexican club, the 20-year-old scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in 40 total appearances across all competitions. The goalscoring and assisting aided in the club’s finish as the winners of Liga MX. He has made seven international appearances for his senior team, including four appearances in the recently completed Copa America.
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At Manchester United, it’s unclear where Lozano would fit into the team. Jose Mourinho has generally opted to use a 4-2-3-1 formation in the past. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic all but assured the starting role at striker, Martial and Memphis will likely have to compete on the left wing. On the right side, Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s impending transfer should see him line up on the wing, while Jesse Lingard’s future is unclear.
That means that Lozano must be seen as a long term option rather than as an immediate starter. He could be used sparingly this season if the club needs an injection of attacking mentality, especially if the squad is thinned by a departure for Juan Mata.
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According to Mexico head coach Juan Carlos Osorio, however, he may not have to wait that long for consistent involvement. Speaking on the player’s ability and future, as covered by Sky Sports, the coach said:
"“His speed and ability to go past [opponents] will take him far. Lozano has a great desire to learn with the national team. His strength is that he is a very low-key, low profile, very down to earth [person] and I think [he] will go very far. Not only is he a very good player with the potential to be an outstanding player, he is also a very good human being.”"