Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Omar Elabdellaoui, Ahmed Musa Rumours

Manchester United will reportedly move for Olympiakos right-back Omar Elabdellaoui in the summer transfer window after it's been claimed the Red Devils missed out on the defender in January.  

According to Greek outlet Gazzetta (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro), the Norway international was cited as a target late in the previous window, with the club having to cope with a spate of injury issues at full-back. It’s stated United were keen on a loan deal with a £7.5 million option to make the move permanent, but a fee wasn’t ultimately agreed.

Here is a look at why United may have been in the hunt for the 24-year-old, who was formerly a Manchester City player:

Matteo Darmian returned to the Red Devils' starting XI for the 3-0 win over Stoke City on Tuesday in what would have been a big boost to Louis van Gaal’s side. Still, with the untested Guillermo Varela, the only natural back-up to the Italian, it’s a facet of the squad the Red Devils could do with strengthening.

As Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones noted, there was a genuine interest from the Red Devils to bring someone in:

Elabdellaoui is a more attacking player than Darmian, which would certainly give the Red Devils something different in their forward forays; he’s played on the right side of midfield for the Greek giants too this term. Additionally, he’s someone who will be well acquainted with the local area and its cultures, having spent five years in the City setup.

Some United fans would love to see Varela given a prolonged run in the side after some decent cameos, although there are still big doubts over whether he does have a long-term future at Old Trafford. Elabdellaoui would potentially spell the end for him, but he would bring something new to the squad and provide Darmian with some substantial competition.

Leicester Want Ahmed Musa in the Summer

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According to John Cross of the Daily Mirror, Leicester City will make another move for rumoured Manchester United target Ahmed Musa in the summer.

Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror noted that the Red Devils and Southampton were keen on the CSKA Moscow man during the midseason window. However, it seems as though the Foxes were most intent on getting a deal done, with Oluwashina Okeleji of BBC Sport writing they had four bids turned down for the Nigeria international.

Here is a look at why Leicester were so keen to acquire the 23-year-old forward:

Musa is blisteringly quick, versatile and unpredictable with the ball at his feet. For United, he could have potentially been a smart addition, as they’ve lacked a thrust up front for long spells of the campaign. As noted here by WhoScored.com, Musa can be profligate, although he does get himself into dangerous positions on the pitch:

It’s tough to see exactly where he would fit into this current United setup. Leicester play fast and seek to turn teams around, a style which would be tailor made for Musa’s main attributes. By contrast, the Red Devils move the ball meticulously, meaning players need to be technically proficient to flourish.

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While he’s not a player who lacks natural talent, keeping the ball in tight spaces and threading passes is not really Musa’s game. So if Leicester were to make another offer for the CSKA man at the end of the season, it’d be a big surprise to see the Red Devils get dragged into any kind of auction for the player.