Manchester United Transfer News: January Rumours on Miranda Make Little Sense

Reports regarding a potential transfer of Atletico Madrid defender Miranda to Manchester United are once again emerging in Spain, but a January move makes little sense for all parties involved.

The Daily Express' Ben Jefferson claims the defending Spanish champions have informed the Red Devils they are willing to accept a £20 million offer for the 30-year-old, who is reportedly "desperate" to move to Old Trafford after watching a summer move fall through:

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Reports earlier this week suggested that Atletico are ready to let Miranda leave next month following the emergence of Uruguayan youngster Jose Gimenez.

Miranda has a £24m release clause in his contract - a fee that United were unwilling to pay over the summer - but with the 30-year-old's contract expiring next summer, the Spanish club are now willing to lower that fee somewhat.

It is claimed that Miranda is desperate to make the move to Old Trafford and had his heart set on a move over the summer.

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He has supposedly already agreed to personal terms, and all that stands in the way of a deal is an agreement between the two clubs.

The emergence of starlet Jose Gimenez is a serious threat to Miranda's position as regular starter for Diego Simeone's side, and ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan believes the numbers speak in favour of the Uruguayan:

Fans shouldn't start ordering their custom-made shirts just yet, however. Jefferson's report shines a very one-sided light on the story, and some context is in order.

For starters, Gimenez's emergence as Atletico's next great defender has been the result of the simple fact Miranda's been injured since November, suffering a hamstring injury while playing for Brazil against Austria, as shared by Bleacher Report's Karl Matchett:

The 19-year-old was excellent replacing his veteran teammate, but he didn't do enough to relegate Miranda to the bench. According to WhoScored.com, the Brazil international returned to the starting XI the moment he was fully fit again, earlier this month.

The notion that Miranda is "desperate" to join United and was very keen on a move during the summer is a case of selective memory loss: An approach was made, but the player told AS (h/t International Business Times' Eduardo Fernandez-Abascal) he made a conscious decision to stay in Spain:

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It was better for me and for my family to stay where we are.

I am happy being a Rojiblanco. I love Madrid as a city and Atletico is a great club. It's normal (there are speculations) when footballers are at clubs who are successful.

I think the team has reinforced well in every position. I'm happy that Tiago's back. And Siqueira is a player who is at the same level as Filipe. All of the new signings are going to bring a lot of happiness to the fans. We have the same dynamic in defence as before and we'll only keep getting better the more games we play.

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None of this rules out a potential transfer in 2015, but contrary to what some reports may claim, Miranda did in fact reject a move during the summer. The idea that he's dying to come to Manchester simply isn't true.

Gimenez's emergence factors into Miranda's future as Atletico's long-term starter, but as of right now, he's Simeone's preferred option next to Diego Godin.

According to the club's official website, his contract runs out in the summer of 2016, and Gimenez's development will likely factor into the decisions all parties will then make.

Miranda is a very good centre-back, but certainly not an elite player at the position. A £20 million price tag for an aging player whose contract may not be extended in 18 months is more than just a hefty fee, especially when you consider he's not even the best defender on his current team—that would be Godin.

If he wanted to stay in Madrid during the summer, why would he give up a starting position at a club with a realistic chance of winning the Champions League in favour of a foreign adventure?

This is a veteran player who wasn't interested in uprooting his family six months ago, and as far as we can tell, little has changed since then.

Miranda would be a short-term solution, and those usually don't cost £20 million. For that kind of money, the Mancunians can find better fits for their philosophy, either now or during the summer.

Either way you look at it, a January deal makes little sense for all parties involved.

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