According to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United discussed the possibility of signing Marcus Thuram before they purchased Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta.
The Red Devils were heavily linked with a move for Thuram earlier this year. The club were credited with an interest in signing him in January before the links reemerged during the summer. Despite him being available on a free transfer, Man United chose to sign Hojlund instead.
In his daily briefing on Caught Offside, Romano revealed that United discussed Thuram as a possibility, but they wanted a more traditional no.9, he said: “Finally, another French player who was discussed as a possibility by United was Marcus Thuram.”
“He was a free agent this summer before moving to Inter, and the Red Devils also looked at him back in January, knowing he would be out of contract in the summer. On that occasion they decided to sign Wout Weghorst instead, and again in the summer they considered Thuram but decided to go after a different kind of player, more of a traditional no.9, and that’s why they decided to go for Rasmus Hojlund.”
Right decision
United were much fancied to sign Thuram at one point of time. The Frenchman is a versatile player, who can play anywhere on the wings or as a main striker. He is someone who possesses pace and has the ability to dribble past his opponents. However, he does not fit into the category of a traditional striker.
Hence, the Red Devils made the right decision to sign Hojlund despite the huge transfer fee involved. The Dane is still adapting to the Premier League and has yet to find the net since his debut. However, he has shown his class in the Champions League campaign with 3 goals from just 2 appearances thus far. He scored a stellar solo goal in the 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray last night.
The Dane is only 20 years of age and could be a world-class striker in the coming years with his huge potential. Thuram, on the other hand, signed for Inter over the summer. He appears the perfect fit for their style of play, having already registered 3 goals and 6 assists from 9 appearances. Both United and Thuram have benefited from their summer decisions.
