United can reduce Premier League gap to the Gunners to five points if they win at Emirates Stadium on Sunday
anchester United manager Erik ten Hag is not surprised to see Arsenal challenging for the Premier League title.
The Gunners are currently five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table and have a game in hand.
United are eight points off Arsenal, but they will have the chance to close the gap when they travel to Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Ten Hag’s side beat Arsenal in the reverse fixture in September, winning 3-1, but he could see then that the Gunners would be a force this season.
“In the moment we played them, you could already see the manager’s coaching style was for a long time working in the team,” he said.
“You could see good structures in the team and they improved in the first half of the season. They have a really good spirit in the team.
“We know what to do, but we have to be really good. We need a really good performance and if we do, then we have a good chance of getting out of that performance, a good result.
“It’s obvious they are in a really good run and they deserve the position where they are now. It’s a really good structure – they play with a good mentality, winning attitude in the team.
“That’s why they’re top of the league. They’re on a great run and it’s up to us to end that run and we’ll do everything to do that.”
Man Utd draw up cunning plan to seal Theo Hernandez transfer with ‘two-player swap offer’
Manchester United are reportedly weighing up an audacious move for AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez.
Manchester United are willing to offer two players in exchange for the signature of AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez before the January transfer window slams shut, according to reports. The Red Devils are said to be in the market for additional reinforcements after completing a move for Wout Weghorst earlier this month and have seemingly taken a liking to Hernandez, who featured in all but one of France’s games at the World Cup last year.
Hernandez is also a key player at club level for Milan, who will surely be looking to avoid losing him with just over a week to find a replacement before the January window closes. United have devised a plan to tempt the Italian giants into selling up, though, by offering Diogo Dalot and Anthony Martial in exchange for the 25-year-old.
That’s according to Calciomercato, who claim that United are not yet convinced over the duo’s long-term futures at United and could include them in any offer to buy Hernandez over the next few days. Both players will be out of contract in the summer of 2024 as things stand, leaving the Red Devils with a dilemma to solve over whether to let them go or risk losing them for free next year.
United are still ‘assessing’ whether Dalot and Martial are compatible with the club’s long-term vision or if they would be put to better use as part of a swap deal for Hernandez, who is reportedly valued at around £52million by his current employers. Those in power at Old Trafford are said to be confident that such a proposal would stand a good chance of being accepted by Milan, although it remains to be seen whether they will press ahead with a concrete offer before the end of this month.
Source: standard.co.uk;
