Manchester United’s initial transfer strategy had to be changed suddenly after the sudden news of Luke Shaw’s muscular injury.
The club shifted its focus from recruiting a midfielder to scrambling to try and bring in an experienced left-back with backup fullback Tyrell Malacia also sidelined till November.
Manager Erik ten Hag was forced to start Diogo Dalot in their previous Premier League game against Nottingham Forest but the manager knows a specialist will be required considering the challenges coming up.
United’s LB chase
Academy graduate Alvaro Fernandez was deemed to be not quite ready yet and was sent out on loan to La Liga side Granada.
United were linked with a host of left-backs like free agent Ryan Bertrand, Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella, Marcos Alonso of Barcelona and Brentford star Rico Henry just to name a few.
United had also attempted to prise away Ivan Perisic from Spurs, but he ended up rejecting the move while Villarreal refused to allow Alfonso Pedraza’s exit on a loan deal.
In the end, after issues with the loan fee and break clause, Cucurella’s chance to come to Manchester broke down, and in came Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham.
But as per The Mail’s Transfer Deadline live stream, United also had a Newcastle United player in sight but the Magpies were in no mood to relent.
Journalist Craig Hope said, “You mention that and I was speaking to agents and one name being thrown around in regards to Man United was Matt Targett.
Targett move failed
“They were bringing together a list of left-backs available out there and Targett is down the pecking order, but he won’t be allowed to go this window we understand,” Hope said.
The 27-year-old is effectively the fourth-choice left-back at Newcastle at the moment with the likes of Dan Burn, Lewis Hall and new signing Tino Livramento all ahead of him in the pecking order.
It would have made sense for the player to try and get some regular minutes elsewhere but Newcastle were in no mood to strengthen a direct rival and hence the move never panned out.
United ended up signing Reguilon from Spurs, who has already begun training and has been registered to be available for the game against Arsenal on Sunday.