Andreas Granqvist Comments on Manchester United January Transfer Rumours
Helsingborgs IF defender Andreas Granqvist has refused to rule out a move to Manchester United in January after being linked to the Old Trafford giants.
The player has said there have been talks between his representatives and the Red Devils recently.
Speaking to Expressen (h/t Charlotte Duncker of the Manchester Evening News), Granqvist said:
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"You can call Martin Dahlin, (his agent), I do not put so much energy around it, except that I'm happy and proud that they have mentioned me .
But there is certainly an interest.
Should it be in January that there will be a concrete proposal, I'll get it then and HIF will take it then. Right now there is not."
The experienced Sweden international has previously featured for Wigan Athletic in the Premier League, and also had spells with Genoa in Serie A and Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League.
The 33-year-old could be a short-term fix for United manager Jose Mourinho, as his defence consistently misfires in England.
Eric Bailly appears to be suffering a confidence crisis at centre-back, and the Special One has been unable to find a leader in his back-four.
Granqvist could form a partnership with international team-mate Victor Lindelof at the Theatre of Dreams, providing the spiralling giants the foundation on which to rebuild their campaign.
Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have been trusted players since Sir Alex Ferguson's reign in Manchester, but the England internationals lack the technical capabilities to feature as regular starters.
Per Expressen, Granqvist added he wants to concentrate on his team until the transfer window opens.
Granqvist said:
"I do not close any doors to anything. But it's so far away and as long as nothing is concrete it's the most speculation.
We simply see what's happening. I have full focus on HIF and it is not relevant now, however, because the window is closed.
As I said at the beginning, I'm flattered to even be mentioned about such a big team as Manchester United."
Granqvist would be an underwhelming capture for United fans, but if Mourinho is considering the ageing player, it underlines the defensive issues at the club.
Mourinho appears to not trust any of his defenders, repeatedly rotating his selection and tactics, and the effect has produced a toxicity in the starting XI.
United need to sign a world-class centre-back instead of a veteran, as Liverpool did with Virgil van Dijk, and the Red Devils can then consider themselves on the path to major silverware once again.
Granqvist was the Swedish player of the year in 2017, succeeding former United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who won the Guldbollen award 10 years in a row.
