‘It was close’ – El Ghazi opens up about Manchester United transfer talks

Former Aston Villa player Anwar El Ghazi has revealed he came close to joining Manchester United last year.

Although there have been talks of a potential transfer, El Ghazi says it was unfortunate that a deal did not materialise.

“It was true that we were in discussions, but there was nothing concrete,” El Ghazi told the BBC’s Shamoon Hafez. “I was a free agent after I left PSV and they were struggling to find interior players. They were exploring the market. It was close, but unfortunately it didn’t go through.”

What’s next for El Ghazi?

El Ghazi is a free agent again after leaving FSV Mainz 05 in November after making just three appearances for the Bundesliga side.

The Dutch forward has Premier League experience from spells at Aston Villa and Everton, which spanned four years.

It was suggested that El Ghazi was the answer after Jadon Sancho fell out of favor with Erik ten Hag after he accused the manager of lying with a poorly understood social media post.

While many fans would have turned their noses up at the 29-year-old, there’s no denying that El Ghazi would have been a useful option while Antony was out of the squad due to ongoing legal issues.

Not the signing profile we should be making now if Ineos plans to change the club’s strategy in the transfer market.

I hope that the days of signing players like Odion Ighalo and Radamel Falcao who went all out are over.

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