Manchester United are thought to be leading the race to bring an overseas defender to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report.
Man Utd’s season so far
The Red Devils have made a mixed start to the new campaign having won seven and lost five of their opening 12 games, meaning that they currently find themselves sixth in the top-flight table during the international break.
|
Victories |
Defeats |
|---|---|
|
Wolves (1-0) |
Tottenham Hotspur (2-0) |
|
Nottingham Forest (3-2) |
Arsenal (3-1) |
|
Burnley (1-0) |
Brighton and Hove Albion (3-1) |
|
Brentford (2-1) |
Crystal Palace (1-0) |
|
Sheffield United (2-1) |
Manchester City (3-0) |
|
Fulham (1-0) |
|
|
Luton Town (1-0) |
Despite Erik ten Hag’s side securing back-to-back victories over Fulham and Luton Town, chiefs will know that they can still bolster their ranks with players who will improve the manager’s options, especially at the heart of the backline which has been leaky of late.
The Old Trafford outfit have set their sights on Real Sociedad centre-back Robin Le Normand who, despite still having just under another three years remaining on his deal (Real Sociedad contracts), has emerged as a target since the summer window has closed.
The Spain international has already been the subject of a scouting trip from the hierarchy alongside Liverpool, but regardless of the 27-year-old being wanted by more than one club, it sounds like he’s currently most likely to make his way to M16 in January.
Man Utd in pole position for Robin Le Normand
According to Spanish reports (via CaughtOffside), Man United are the frontrunners for Le Normand. The Red Devils are in the “strongest position” to sign the defender, despite him also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United and West Ham.
The Real Sociedad colossus has a €60m (£52m) release clause included in his contract, though whether this is a fee that the club would be willing to pay yet remains to be seen.
Standing at 6 foot 1, Le Normand provides a real physical presence at the heart of Real Sociedad’s backline where he’s currently averaging three aerial wins and 2.3 clearances per game in La Liga (WhoScored – Le Normand stats).
The Pabu native is also capable of making a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch having clocked up 11 involvements, six assists and five goals, in 194 senior appearances during his time at the Reale Arena (Transfermarkt – Le Normand stats).
Furthermore, Ten Hag’s target has already had a taste of what it’s like to compete and be successful at a high level having been crowned a Spanish Cup winner and UEFA Nations League champion with Spain, so he will possess the winning mentality required to succeed.
As hailed by journalist Josh Bunting, Le Normand is a “strong footballer” and there’s no doubt that he would tighten up the defence more so than the options the manager has available now, so it could be a massive coup should he put pen to paper at Old Trafford.
