According to a source, Manchester United, who are starting a new chapter under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, may now consider a trade involving a member of their first squad in order to assist acquire a top target.

Man Utd will not have Timo Werner
Manchester United may be looking to add players this month in an attempt to turn around their underwhelming season thus far under Erik ten Hag. However, one player who won’t be showing up at Old Trafford is Timo Werner, a top player for RB Leipzig who is nearing a loan deal to Tottenham Hotspur.

Timo Werner’s medical examinations have already been scheduled by Tottenham; once contracts are signed, the loan agreement will be finalised. Next week, Werner will begin training as a new player for the Spurs. tweet.com/2MJ8XJATvY — From Fabrizio Romano on Twitter: 7 January 2024
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano explained in his Daily Briefing via CaughtOffside why the Red Devils declined to sign the Germany international.

“I think it’s a wise purchase. Spurs can view the player before committing, thus they have the option to buy the player but it is not required. The player is on loan. Timo is really hungry because he thinks this is a fantastic chance. Manchester United also gave Werner some thought, but ultimately opted against moving further since they were unsure of the type of player they wanted.”

Of course, any club that signs players purely for financial gain is never wise, but some Manchester United supporters might be angry as one of their divisional rivals passes up a reported target after COO Collette Roche stated in a fan forum that she does not anticipate a busy January transfer window with new players.

Trophy for Premier League: 1 Related
Every verified Premier League completed deal: January 2024 transfer window
FFC provides all the information you need to follow your club’s winter transfer activity as the January transfer window approaches.
In spite of this, a recent rumour suggests that Manchester United may try to sign a significant target through a swap deal involving a well-known first-team player.

Man Utd is eager to trade for Michael Olise.
The Daily Star reports that Manchester United may attempt to execute a trade in order to get Michael Olise, a winger for Crystal Palace, by providing Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who earns £100,000 a week, in return. Olise, a France Under-21 international, is reportedly considered one of Ratcliffe’s main goals whenever they are ready to increase their activities at Old Trafford come summertime.

Five athletes that resemble Michael Olise (FBRef)

Participant

Club

Del Castillo, Romain

Brest

March of Solly

Albion, Brighton & Hove

Fernandes, Bruno

United Manchester

Domenico Berardi

Sassuolo

Savanier Teji

Montpellier

Due to a stipulation in his contract, the Red Devils extended Wan-Bissaka’s stay in the North West by 12 months. It is thought that they did this in an attempt to use Wan-Bissaka as leverage in this possible transfer issue. However, Olise has a buyout clause that will go into effect later this year. It is rumoured that this clause would cost around twice as much as the £35 million that was previously stated when Olise decided to prolong his stay at Selhurst Park. As a result, United may need to make a financial offer in addition to the right-back.

Michael Olise Crystal Palace announced his transfer to the Premier League.
Despite suffering from a hamstring injury for the majority of the season, the 22-year-old has been described as “wonderful” by manager Roy Hodgson and has five goals and one assist in nine games (Olise statistics – Transfermarkt).

It’s debatable if giving up Wan-Bissaka for Olise would be a wise trade-off, but there’s no denying that the latter would give Manchester United’s final third a fresh perspective.