Another January arrives, and Manchester United is once again seeking a savior to ride in and help. Bruno Fernandes energized the team in 2020, while Odion Ighalo, who was signed at the same time, offered temporary assistance. Three years later, Wout Weghorst matched his goal tally from his time at Burnley. United’s lack of activity in recent mid-season windows is well-known. Three months after the January 2022 transfer window closed, Ralf Rangnick highlighted the club’s structural incompetence, noting that they ended up in a weaker position than at the start. “The answer then was no, there is no player available who could truly assist us,” Rangnick stated, attributing the issue to the scouting department. Could Rangnick find one available on the market? There were several! Luis Diaz, currently with Liverpool, Julian Alvarez, set to join Manchester City in the summer, and Dusan Vlahovic, who was still with Fiorentina at that time. These are just three that come to mind right now. United were puzzled by biased reports claiming that Liverpool were close to signing Diaz from Porto before them.
