Marouane Fellaini, who joined Manchester United for £27.5m, is all set to become the first man to be transferred out in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign, as per the Mirror. The 31-year-old flourished under Jose Mourinho, with the former United boss turning towards him in his time of need.
While the tall man answered the call on more than one occasion, it looks like his time maybe be over at Old Trafford.
Replacing him will be relatively simple but United need to make sure they get what they spend. But given their war-chest and the reported £15million fee for the Belgian international, the Red Devils should have more than enough to replace and add a few new stars.
Few players have done as well as Jefferson Lerma in his debut season, with the Colombian adjusting to the Premier League brilliantly. His performances have been crucial to the Cherries doing well so far and the 24-year-old has attracted interest. It will be hard to convince Bournemouth to let him go after just six months but if the Red Devils do manage to convince the Cherries, they will get a class act.
It hasn’t been long since Lerma moved to the Premier League and unlike many who can’t stand the physicality and pace of the English league, the Colombian welcomed it. A defensive colossus, Lerma has averaged 1.4 tackles a game, adding to that 2.4 clearances and 2 interceptions, according to Whoscored.
For Manchester United, he not only makes for a perfect Marouane Fellaini replacement but also happens to be the perfect man to replace Nemanja Matic.
At 23, Diadie Samassékou has already been targeted by Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen among many other sides (via ESPN). The Mali international has flourished at RB Salzburg, dominating their midfield since his arrival in the summer of 2016. He finished last season with 50 appearances in all competitions and already has 27 to his name this season.
A defensive midfielder by trade, the youngster is similar to Naby Keita. The 23-year-old is adept at breaking down play, man marking and also does most of the dirty work for RB Salzburg. Despite all that, he has registered an average pass accuracy of 78% in the Europa League alone, alongside 3.7 interceptions and 2.7 tackles per game as per Whoscored.
For United, Samassékou isn’t as tall and burly as Fellaini but the 23-year-old is a worthy option and is more than capable of flourishing in the Premier League.
Thomas Partey flourished last season and it is safe to suggest that that was the man Diego Simeone hoped he had bought when the 25-year-old first arrived. The Ghanaian international struggled at first being sent on multiple loan spells, before finally establishing himself as a key star at Atletico Madrid.
He finished last season with 50 appearances, the most he’s ever made for Los Rojiblancos, playing a crucial role in Atletico Madrid’s Europa League triumph. While Manchester City were linked with a move during the summer (via Manchester Evening News), nothing materialized and Partey ended up staying.
Now with the Red Devils losing Fellaini, the 25-year-old Ghana international could once again pop up on a Premier League side’s shortlist. While Atletico Madrid may not sell their key star, there is a chance United could sway them with a high transfer fee.
