Manchester United have struck gold with a 'generational' star worth more than Gittins

What will Manchester United Are you doing this during the January transfer window? Well, they clearly need reinforcements, given the Red Devils sitting out 13th place in the Premier League With just 26 points to their name so far this term. Their form has been poor, winning just one of their last five Premier League matches.

So, the arrival of the Red Devils seems likely. Patrick Durgo is one of the players Linked to moving to the clubFrom the Italian club Lecce. In terms of attacking additions, it was Matthews Cunha Linked with a move to Old Trafford again in the last few days and could leave Wolverhampton Wanderers this month.

Cunha was not the only striker linked with a potential move to Old Trafford before the window closed at the start of February.

An attacking goal for Manchester United

The Red Devils have been linked with England winger Jimmy Gittins in recent days. On January 19, United were thought to be 'seriously interested' in the Borussia Dortmund star, According to Florian Plettenberg. English side Chelsea and German giants Bayern Munich are also believed to be interested in the move, which could happen in the summer.

It's easy to see why a host of Europe's biggest clubs, including United, would consider a move for Gittins. He has been sensational for Dortmund this season, scoring 11 goals and five assists In 26 matches In all competitions.

There is one competition in which the English player, who is yet to win an international cap for his country, excelled. The 20-year-old has put in a real show in the Champions League, scoring four goals and an assist in six appearances, including one away to Real Madrid.

Given his impressive performances this season, it is perhaps not surprising that Gittens is now worth around £38m according to Expected transfer value (xTV) model for football transfers. However, United already have a striker with greater value, and they may want to keep hold of him.

The Manchester United star who deserves more than Gittens

The player in question here is… Alejandro Garnacho. The Argentine has impressed during his time at United so far since leaving the academy. He has 23 goals and 14 assists In 118 matches For the Red Devils.

Perhaps the Argentine international's most impressive season has been the 2023/24 season. Despite being only 19 years old, he played with great maturity, scoring ten goals and gaining five assists in 50 appearances.

This term has not been easy for the winger. He has been a partial player under new coach Ruben Amorim, overall Includes 32 times. He has eight goals and five assists to his name, an impressive record and not far behind Gittens, although he has only scored three goals and one assist in the Premier League.

Some of his Basic numbers via FBref It's also been impressive over the past year or so. Garnacho, a confident ball-carrier who will drive towards defenders, averages 5.84 progressive carries and 3.4 carries inside the box per game. This places him in the top 8% and 5% of wingers in Europe's top five leagues respectively.

A carry is considered progressive if the ball is carried towards the opponent's goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or carried into the penalty area.

So, with that in mind, it may come as a surprise to see him linked with a big-money move away from Old Trafford. According to the mailBoth Chelsea and Napoli are interested in a deal that could cost them upwards of £65m.

Interestingly, United's valuation of their star winger is £28m higher than Gittins' expected market value, which perhaps suggests the Red Devils should keep hold of him rather than move him. After all, Soccer statistician Dave Statman believes He is a “generational” talent.

It will be fascinating to see what decision United make regarding Jarnacho's future. He is clearly a talented player, with huge amounts of money, but at this price, United may not be able to keep him.