Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Xherdan Shaqiri and Martin Odegaard

Manchester United are a club renowned for courting European football’s brightest talents, and as the January window creeps ever closer, the Red Devils have been linked with two of the most exciting young attackers on the continent.

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Louis van Gaal has already bolstered his squad with some enthralling offensive players, but with forwards like Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao approaching the latter stages of their careers, it’s vital players are brought in with a long-term view. Perhaps that’s why the Old Trafford outfit are reportedly interested in 15-year-old sensation Martin Odegaard.

According to Simon Mullock of The Mirror, United are keen on bringing the Norwegian prodigy to Manchester, but they’re likely to face stiff competition from a host of European football’s most illustrious names given the potential of this wonderful young player. 

Here’s a look at why Odegaard, who turns 16 next month, has been courted by some of the game's biggest clubs:

Mullock claims that while United impressed the player with a tour of their stadium and state-of-the-art training facilities at Carrington, Real Madrid have already offered the youngster a five-year deal in a bid to lure him to the Santiago Bernabeu. 

Despite his tender years, Odegaard already has three caps for Norway and has shone for his club, Stromsgodset. He’s a young player who seems to be mature and intent on taking his time when it comes to making his decision on where his future lies. And rightly so, for he looks to have all the requisite qualities to go on and become on of the most exciting attackers in the game.

But despite his respective experience for a player so young, he’s not someone who could come in at United and make an immediate impression. The standard of football he’ll have been used to is nowhere near that of the Premier League, and should Van Gaal convince him to join up with the Red Devils, surely a spell on loan would await.

Odegaard is an exciting long-term prospect and a player who is sure to get supporters excited as he  continues to improve. But you suspect United fans will be desperate for a January signing who can come into the squad and make an immediate impression. If reports are to be believed, then that player could be Xherdan Shaqiri.

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According to Anthony Chapman of the Express, the Swiss international could be on his way out of Bayern Munich after struggling to nail down a place in the first XI. Chapman also claims that Ander Herrera could be part of any deal between the two sides, as Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the former Athletic Bilbao midfielder.

Shaqiri is an enthralling winger to watch, but given the talent at Guardiola’s disposal, he has never been able to nail down a place in the first team since his move from FC Basel. That’s despite some excellent performances for Switzerland even though he isn’t playing regular football, as noted here by German football expert Alex Chaffer:

Such is his frustration, the 23-year-old admitted earlier this month that he was on the lookout for a move away from the Allianz Arena last summer, per Blick (h/t Sky Sports):

"

I wanted a move in the summer, of course, but the club made their decision and I've just got to live with it.

I just felt after the World Cup that it would be better for me to try something new.

I thought about moving and I had lots of enquiries, but Bayern decided that I had to stay and you can't do much about that as a player.

"

Shaqiri would certainly add something different to this current United squad. He’s currently a class above wide players like Adnan Januzaj, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia, and his dynamic presence on the flanks would allow Angel di Maria to feature in a central role, a position in which the former Real Madrid man has looked much more threatening in the infancy of his Red Devils career.

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But giving up on a player as talented as Herrera so early into his own United career would be a big mistake, as would splashing out a substantial sum on an attacking player when the base of the Red Devils’ midfield and the back four is a much more pressing issue for Van Gaal. Shaqiri would give United options, but a player of his style should be far from the top of the manager's January wish list.