Manchester United have identified Nemanja Matic replacement

Manchester United are set to meet Liverpool in an off-field tug-of-war as they both intend to sign the defensive midfielder in the upcoming January transfer window.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is currently a happy man at the helm of Manchester United. Their one hundred per cent away record in the league is something any manager in the world could brag about. But the scenario gets gloomy as soon as their home record comes under the microscope.

While speaking of away records, United’s latest win came against relegation-fighting Sheffield United last Thursday. It was another thrilling matchday experience for the neutrals, while Red Devils fans must have had their hearts in their mouths once again.

The friction doesn’t lie in the fact that the forwards scored three goals, but that the defenders conceded two and seemed utterly vulnerable all night. And it was the position of Nemanja Matic, who was playing as a defensive midfielder, which seems in need of reinforcements more than any other over the next transfer period.

His lacklustre positioning allowed John Fleck to take the shot right from the middle of the 18-yard box in the 18th minute of the game. The Scot should’ve at least hit the target, and it would’ve been an easy 2-0 lead for Chris Wilder’s men.

Matic has been deemed to be one of the weakest links in the United team this season. And the general conviction is that the Red Devils are in dire need of another defensive midfielder—perhaps a direct replacement for the Serbian midfield general.

According to a report from ESPN, Manchester United are amongst a host of clubs interested in pursuing the services for Yves Bissouma from Brighton and Hove Albion in the January transfer window.

The teams that could hinder United’s progress, in this case, are believed to be Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and French club AS Monaco. Two unnamed Spanish sides are also keeping tabs on the defensive midfielder.

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A regular for his Premier League side, Bissouma has been a stand-out performer for Graham Potter’s team this term, having made 12 appearances already in the league. Brighton and Hove Albion are understood to have got the notion that teams will be offering a significant transfer fee for the Malian’s title in January.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are understood to be currently leading the race, with the reigning Premier League champions seeing him as a like-to-like replacement for Giorgino Wijnaldum, whose contract at Anfield is set to expire next summer. And it seems that the Dutchman is Barcelona-bound.

The anticipated tug-of-war between the clubs looking to sign Bissouma would be something the transfer rumour mill could never ignore in the approaching winter transfer window.

Regardless of where Bissouma’s future lies, he holds the ability to marshal a midfield and could be a substantial addition to a Manchester United looking hungry for some modern glory.