Fabrizio Romano poured cold water on reports linking Manchester United to Gavi, explaining what the club intends to do in the final two weeks of the transfer market.
At the start of the summer, the Red Devils were tipped to sign three new midfielders after parting ways with Casemiro and losing Manuel Ugarte to a long-term injury.
But since signing Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa, INEOS have been idle on the midfield front.
Romano rubbishes Gavi to Man United rumours
Over the last month, fans and journalists have been speculating who would be Man Utd’s third and final midfield reinforcement.
The most recurring names have been Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni, Roma’s Manu Kone, and Fulham’s Sander Berge, while pundits like Paul Scholes have been urging the club to revisit the Adam Wharton option.
But in recent hours, a report in Spain claimed that United are ready to offer Barcelona €40 million plus €15 million for Gavi.
The 22-year-old is considered one of the best products of La Masia over the past decade, but his development has been hampered by recurring injuries.
But in the latest video posted on his official YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano categorically denied the story, insisting that the Catalan giants are happy to accommodate Gavi, and that no approach was made by MUFC.
The Italian journalist adds that United could decide to start the season with their current midfield options, and will only make a late addition should the right circumstances occur.
In other words, INEOS aren’t willing to spend unless they find a profile they truly believe in, and is available at what they deem to be a fair price.
Are Man Utd officials making the right approach to the market?
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group took over the club’s day-to-day operations from the Glazers, they must have realised how much money went down the drain on poor recruitment, as some of those signings were still weighing on the club’s finances, the likes of Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Andre Onana.
Therefore, one could understand why the new directors are taking a more cautious approach, especially with financial sustainability becoming ever so crucial.
However, Man Utd cannot stand alone against the market’s inflation, and if they choose to avoid spending astronomical amounts that their rivals are happy to pay, they will simply be left behind while the competitors reinforce their squads.
At least this was the case this summer, as they missed out on Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes (who was particularly close to joining them), and Bruno Guimaraes.
Perhaps United will be proven right on some occasions, but competing among the elite requires taking risks on the market and pulling the trigger at the right time.
