Manchester United prepare £52m bid for Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry

Manchester United are keeping close tabs on Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry in the wake of uncertain futures of Antony and Jadon Sancho.

Erik ten Hag’s options out wide have been depleted currently, with Antony granted a period of absence from the club while Jadon Sancho was exiled from the first team after publicly hitting back at the manager’s criticism. The Dutch tactician is now in a position where he is suddenly largely dependent on youngsters—Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellestri—on both flanks, with Marcus Rashford partly considered as a No.9 option.

Thus, Manchester United have already started scouring the market for a new right-winger. They are reportedly preparing a bid for Bayern’s Serge Gnabry, who is set to face Ten Hag’s United in Wednesday’s Champions League group stage opener at the Allianz Arena.

Gnabry, 28, appeared on course to leave Bayern last year, only for him to change his mind and sign a new contract until 2026. The German winger subsequently contributed 14 goals and six assists in 34 league games, as the Bavarians won the Bundesliga title on the final day of the season.

However, he is not viewed as a regular starter under Thomas Tuchel and the German champions would consider selling him in 2024 for a fee of around £52m.

Man United to offload Sancho in January?

Erik ten Hag criticised Jadon Sancho for failing to meet the required standards in training as he explained the decision to omit the winger from his matchday squad against Arsenal before the international break. Sancho hit back at Ten Hag by labelling himself as a ‘scapegoat’ in a social media post that has now been deleted, nonetheless, the 23-year-old has since been banished from first-team training.

As of now, Ten Hag and Sancho are struggling to settle their differences in what currently appears to be a fractured relationship. Time is running out for the English winger at Old Trafford and there are high chances of him being offloaded over the coming transfer windows, potentially as soon as January should the club receive a suitable offer.

Serge Gnabry on Man United’s radar

In addition to Sancho being frozen out of first-team training, it remains unclear how long Antony will be away from the squad following his off-field problems. In that regard, Serge Gnabry could help fill a huge void in Ten Hag’s squad.

Gnabry has become a key player for Bayern in recent years, registering 81 goals and 51 assists in 222 appearances thus far. He is comfortable playing on either flank as well as through the middle as a false 9, and such versatility could make him a smart fit in Ten Hag’s system. The German international’s speed, creativity and dribbling skills would add more potency to United’s attack.

The 28-year-old has plenty of experience at the highest level and lifted major honours with Bayern, so it will be interesting to see if the Red Devils do make a concrete bid for Gnabry when the transfer window re-opens in the New Year.