Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Nabil Fekir, Hakan Calhanoglu Rumours

Manchester United reportedly remain interested in signing Lyon star Nabil Fekir despite his ongoing injury problems

According to the Spanish outlet Fichajes and via the Daily Mirror (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Star), although the forward is set to miss six months of the season with a knee ligament blow, United could still move to bring the youngster in. Fekir was named as the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year in 2014-15.

During that campaign, the vibrant attacking play of the French international and his compatriot Alexandre Lacazette nearly pushed Lyon to the league title. Here’s a recap of some of his standout moments:

Fekir seemed like a player who was ready to make another step up this season. After settling into the groove at Lyon, he was a creative influence roaming around behind Lacazette, conjuring plenty of chances for the striker. But Fekir is a player who is just as capable of finishing chances as he is creating them.

Therefore, it’s little surprise that his absence has been felt by Lyon since picking up that injury problem on international duty earlier this season, per OptaJean:

As noted in Harris’ piece, Fekir has previously told Europe 1 that he does want to play for Manchester United, stating that it would be a dream to join the Premier League giants. But having recently signed a five-year deal with Lyon, it seems likely that his immediate future is with the Ligue 1 side, especially as he continues his recovery from this injury.

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If United do preserve an interest, it’s likely they’ll move next summer. Injuries like the one suffered by Fekir are difficult to recover from, and as such, the Red Devils will be keen to monitor the 22-year-old’s rehabilitation before they go spending big money. Finish the season with a flourish and Fekir may well get his dream move.

Hakan Calhanoglu a January Target

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According to SoccerNews (h/t Aaron Flanagan of the Daily Mirror), Manchester United will go head-to-head with Milan to land Hakan Calhanoglu in January.

The Bayer Leverkusen star is blossoming into one of the finest young players in the Bundesliga this season and has apparently caught the eye of two of European football’s biggest names. As noted in Flanagan’s piece, it’s claimed the Red Devils made a €40 million move for Calhanoglu at the end of the summer window.

There’s no denying the Turkish international has heaps of talent. As we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, when shooting from outside the box—whether from set pieces or open play—Calhanoglu is a massive danger:

Aside from his prowess from distance, there are other facets of the Bayer man’s game that are hugely encouraging. Calhanoglu is a fine dribbler, he can pick a pass and is a dead-eye finisher, too. After the sale of Heung-Min Son in the summer window, the Turkey man is relishing the extra responsibility handed to him in this campaign at the BayArena.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe suggested this summer the 2015-16 term will be a real breakthrough one for Calhanoglu:

United aren’t in desperate need of a player in his mould, though. Manager Louis van Gaal has a lot of options to call upon in attacking midfield positions, with the likes of Memphis Depay, Juan Mata, Ashley Young, Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini all vying for starting spots. For the aforementioned amount, the money could definitely be better spent elsewhere.

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Calhanoglu is at a good club to continue developing anyway. The aggressive brand of football Leverkusen play under Roger Schmidt really suits the midfielder, and given just how significant a role he has in the starting XI, he will make major improvements to all aspects of his game in the campaign to come.