Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans for defensive stability this season took a blow during the summer when Manchester United failed to follow up on a deal to sign PSG’s Idrissa Gueye.
Concerned about Nemanja Matic’s form and unsure if Paul Pogba would be staying, United’s recruitment negotiator Matt Judge turned to the prospect of signing Gueye as holding midfieler after West Ham’s Declan Rice was priced out of the market.
Judge ascertained that 32-year-old Gueye, who has Premier League experience with Aston Villa and Everton, would move to Old Trafford with his wife as he feared PSG’s glut of summer signings including Gini Wijnaldum would see him frozen out.