Manchester United failed in their attempt to sign Rico Henry from Brentford this summer as deadline day approached, according to Football Insider.
The Red Devils left it late in the previous transfer window to bolster their defence. They made a late play to sign the 26-year-old Brentford star, but the report says a deal failed to materialise.
Having lost Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia to injuries, United were in desperate need of reinforcements in their backline during the closing days of the window. As a result, the Manchester-based club stepped-up their interest in Henry – who’s valued at £24m by Transfermarkt.
But in the end, it was too late in the transfer window for United to be able to convince Brentford to sell. Instead, the Red Devils signed Sergio Reguilon on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
The Spaniard has hardly featured for Spurs over the last two years. In the previous campaign, the left-back was on loan at Atletico Madrid but hardly got any game time. Therefore, it remains to be seen what the 26-year-old will contribute during his time at Old Trafford.
ten Hag has lost quality at left-back
Henry would have been a better option for United. The Englishman has been the first choice at Brentford for several years now. On top of that, the full-back has been impressive in the Premier League since the Bees’ promotion.
Erik ten Hag has relied heavily on Shaw at Man Utd. The England international has been a critical player in the Dutch manager’s success in Manchester so far.
Even without Shaw, Malacia showed he was more than capable and solid at left-back in the previous campaign. But apart from the two, Alvaro Fernandez was the other player Ten Hag could call upon. But the Dutch manager let the young full-back leave on loan this summer.
Manchester United cannot do much now that the transfer window is closed. But they are expected to continue monitoring Henry over the coming months so they may revive their interest in future windows.
