Manchester United are reportedly among a few clubs interested in signing RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo.
The Red Devils are not in the best of forms in the Premier League having dropped down to sixth in the table following three winless games. Yet, that hasn’t stopped manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from planning for the future with the Mancunian club linked with a host of names.
According to reliable SportBild journalist Christian Falk, Manchester United are keen on RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo and have scouted him at many matches. He adds Barcelona are also interested in the player and if the Catalan club fail to pay up the requisite fees to secure his services, Manchester United along with cross-town rivals Manchester City will look to sign the Spanish attacker next year.
Dani Olmo, 23, has quickly become one of the most coveted young attacking midfielders in Europe ever since joining RB Leipzig from Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb in January 2020. To date, the Spanish international has bagged 12 goals and 14 assists in 64 appearances for RB Leipzig.
The 23-year-old, who began his career in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, was an integral part of the Spanish national team that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020 earlier in the summer.
Dani Olmo to Manchester United—A good fit for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side?
Manchester United invested heavily in Jadon Sancho in the past transfer window but barring short glimpses of his talent and potential, the fans are yet to witness the best of the English wide-man. Sancho’s addition has significantly boosted their attacking options and with Marcus Rashford returning after recovering from a shoulder surgery, one might think that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t need further reinforcements at the top end of the pitch.
However, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard are into the final year of their contracts and have shown no signs of extending their stay at Old Trafford. Donny Van de Beek has struggled for regular opportunities since arriving from Ajax last summer, while Anthony Martial has been given the green light to move on in January.
Edinson Cavani is in the final year of his deal and is likely to leave at the end of the season. Cristiano Ronaldo is still shattering records at the ripe age of 36 but he is only a stop-gap solution to Manchester United’s goal-scoring problems.
A club of Man United’s stature must have competition for places and squad depth to challenge for silverware, thus, making the interest in Dani Olmo a sensible one. Olmo, who can play out wide on the flanks or as a false nine, is a technically gifted and tactically versatile player with great passing ability, smart movement, vision and set-piece expertise.
The ex-Dinamo Zagreb man is capable of driving at defences, linking up with attackers and using his intelligent movement to get into dangerous positions. Decisive in the final third and a composed finisher in front of goal, the 23-year-old would be an ideal player to cover and compete with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood at United.
Should United lose Pogba and Lingard, which looks like a big possibility, Solskjaer must make a move for Dani Olmo to maintain the quality and depth of his richly assembled squad.
