Man Utd: £75k-a-week star 'better signing than Cucurella' at Old Trafford | OneFootball

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Manchester United are now embarking on an emergency hunt to replace the injured Luke Shaw and transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed a key reason why Nicolas Tagliafico would be a ‘better fit’ than Marc Cucurella, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

The Old Trafford outfit have several areas to iron out before the transfer deadline, while offloading those deemed surplus to requirements will also be a necessity.

Manchester United are now in a sticky situation seeing as the ever-reliable Shaw has now been ruled out of action for several weeks, per The Athletic. The Englishman played 47 games last campaign and therefore, finding a replacement will be an onerous task, especially with such little time to act.

The Independent’s Miguel Delaney has claimed that Lyon left-back Tagliafico has been identified as a possible option to cover the injured Shaw until he returns to the fold. The report suggests that the deal would be on a permanent basis, worth in the region of £5m, though the clubs are still way off reaching an agreement as things stand. This season alone, the 30-year-old World Cup winner has already notched one goal in three games for his Ligue 1 employers, which shows his tendency to roam forward and be a threat in the final third.

As additional alternatives, The Guardian claim that Spanish trio Marc Cucurella, Sergio Reguilon and Marcos Alonso, who are all fringe players at their respective clubs, are on Erik ten Hag’s radar as a Shaw replacement. However, transfer insider Jones has now told GIVEMESPORT that Tagliafico would suit the Dutch tactician’s blueprint better than Chelsea’s Cucurella, seeing as the latter is not exactly brimming with confidence.

What has Dean Jones said about Manchester United and Nicolas Tagliafico?

Issuing an update on the 30-year-old, Jones told GIVEMESPORT that he’s surprised the Red Devils are not placing the Argentine at the top of their shopping list seeing as he is a ‘better fit’ than one of Manchester United’s reported options, Cucurella. The transfer insider fears the Chelsea defender’s low confidence issues could be a worry in the Old Trafford camp.

“The Marc Cucurella interest has been real and there’s been a scenario there I think where a loan would really suit Chelsea just to get him out of the door and then hope that further down the road, he could actually earn himself a permanent transfer.

“But I like the Nicolas Tagliafico one, I think he is actually a better fit for Erik ten Hag and the long-term fit for Manchester United because once Luke Shaw’s back, what do you do with Cucurella? He’s not going to be that helpful to you. Whereas Tagliafico, I think could actually be a good fit for this squad going forward. I personally wouldn’t be going near Cucurella anyway right now. He’s been out of form for so long and where his head is in the game probably isn’t far off where Harry Maguire has been. We’ve already had enough trouble with that, so I think you could do without another player who’s struggling mentally.”

What next for Manchester United?

In terms of outgoings, the 13-time Premier League champions have reportedly told Harry Maguire that he will remain at the club beyond the transfer deadline. However, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook told GIVEMESPORT the club’s defensive outcast is now ‘more open’ to moving onto pastures new this summer, though he did admit that a deal at this stage would be troublesome to complete.

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has reported that Altay Bayindir’s move to Manchester, worth £4.3m, is imminent, while Dean Henderson is Crystal Palace-bound after successfully completing his medical. The 26-year-old stopper fell heavily out of favour, especially under Ten Hag’s watch, having played just 29 games