Helsingborgs defender Andreas Granqvist has ruled out a move to Manchester United ahead of the January transfer window.
Jose Mourinho has been looking to reinforce his struggling defence and is reportedly interested in signing the Sweden international as a temporary fix in January.
Why are Man Utd so poor defensively? Five things you need to know…
- United’s defence is currently a shadow of last season’s, already conceding more goals after 17 games than they did in the entirely of the previous campaign.
- This comes, in part, as Mourinho continues to rotate his centre-back pairing whether through injury or preference.
- United have also had inconsistency in their full-back choices.
- They have also allowed far too many shots on goal, facing 237 so far, the sixth highest in the league.
- The Red Devils have kept just two clean sheets so far the season, with only Fulham (zero) keeping fewer.
Granqvist has ruled out the move, however, and insists he’s happy in his homeland, telling Goal: “With 99.9 per cent certainty, we can kill the speculation here and now.
“It would be quite sensational, but I don’t think it will happen. Then I do not know if I want to. It’s with Helsingborgs I want to be.”
Granqvist has plied his trade in the Premier league before with Wigan Athletic. The 33-year-old defender made 14 appearances for Wigan before returning to Sweden with Helsingborgs.
He then headed to the Netherlands with Groningen; played his football in Italy and Russia before heading home once again in January.
United’s leaky defence
United have conceded 29 goals this season, one more than the number they let in last season. Which is more than confusing when you consider their back line is composed of the same players.
The Red Devils have struggled to settle on a centre-back partnership ever since the Portuguese tactician arrived at Old Trafford and the situation at full-back is no different.
Antonio Valencia has made the right-back position his own in recent seasons, but it was never his natural position and injuries and poor form have kept him out of the side for much of the current campaign. Ashley Young has been tasked with covering both full-back positions, but like Valencia his natural position is further up the pitch.
Luke Shaw looks like he’s returning to form, but he still hasn’t recaptured the promise he showed prior to his devastating leg break three years ago, and has sustained another injury this season.
During the summer a rift appeared to have developed between Mourinho and United’s board when the United boss was not given the funds to add to his defence, with opportunities to sign Harry Maguire and Toby Alderweireld going begging.
Since then it has become abundantly clear the Red Devils need to improve in that area of the pitch and United’s board are unlikely to make the same mistake twice in January. Whether targets like Maguire and Alderweireld will still be available in the New Year remains to been seen.
The post Andreas Granqvist: I don’t know if I want to join Man Utd appeared first on Squawka News.
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