THE fate of Manchester United’s right-back spot could have been in very different hands, with United reportedly agreeing a deal to sign Josip Juranovic.
The Union Berlin star left Celtic during the January transfer window after an impressive opening half to the campaign.
Consequently, the Croatia international was on the radar of a number of big clubs.
Man Utd’s urgent need for a right-back at the time, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka expected to leave in January, put them down this path.
Fabrizio Romano has reported the Red Devils had a “right-back in their hands” in the form of Juranovic, with the 28-year-old “top of the list for back-up right-back”.
However, Wan-Bissaka’s strong post-World Cup form in the absence of Diogo Dalot saw United hold fire on the deal.
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Erik ten Hag ultimately kept faith with the Englishman to serve as Dalot’s understudy for the rest of the season.
Barring one glaring mishap against Arsenal – which also partly lies at David De Gea’s feet – the 25-year-old has proven he has a future at Old Trafford.
Juranovic eventually sealed a £10million transfer to the Bundesliga on January 22.
He then made an instant impact for his new club, registering two assists in as many games – in a similar vein to Joao Cancelo, who surprisingly moved to Bayern Munich on loan.
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Man Utd did end up signing one star late on however, in the form of Bayern’s Marcel Sabitzer.
The Austrian midfielder was brought in on loan as a direct replacement for Christian Eriksen, who was revealed to have sustained an injury until late April or early May.
Despite this, United confirmed a spot at Wembley as they beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 [5-0 agg], with the added boost of Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial returning, in the Carabao Cup.
Next up, a Saturday kick-off against Crystal Palace beckons.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
