Manchester United dug the iron gate in Paris and was scared off by the asking price of 70 million! Consider low-priced candidates, and only when the seller is successful can there be money

Manchester United have been heavily rumoured with Paris Saint-Germain wing-back Nuno Mendes recently, and the Portugal international has been hampered by a contract extension with the club, so it has been revealed that he may choose to move to the Red Devils under former mentor Ruben Amorim. But the rumours ignore two realities, one is that Manchester United are in an unattractive situation right now, and the other is that owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe really has no money.

Left-back is a much-needed area for United as Luke Shaw has been plagued by injuries and Terrell Malacia has been lacking in quality, with the Dutch full-back not injured and left out of the squad against Wolves. The 22-year-old Mendes, a familiar left-back from Amorim's youth system, joined PSG in 2022 for a €38 million transfer.

Mendes has been the main player on the left side of Paris so far, but his contract expires in 2026, and there is no agreement on the renewal of his contract at present, so it has triggered transfer rumors, which is a normal operation. However, while Mendes is certainly the ideal solution that Amorim wants to strengthen United's left flank, the Parisians have the money to be willful and will not let him go easily.

They are willing to go to the negotiating table, but if they want to take Mendes, they will need to pay a transfer fee of 70 million euros. This is a price that United can never afford, and the Red Devils' transfer department is no match for the other side, the two sides bargained for a transfer window for Ugarte this summer, and in the end United conceded and paid a transfer fee of 60 million euros, allowing the Frenchman to recover the full cost of bringing in the Uruguayan iron waist.

So, while the Red Devils are in desperate need of a new left-back, signing Mendes could be a daunting task at this stage. If the club want to afford him, they will have to sell Marcus Rashford, Zirkze, Antony and Casemiro to make room in the financial statements.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United are more likely to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Muani on loan at this stage, as the team needs goalscorers, who have only scored 23 goals in 20 Premier League games. As for Mendes, United will not actively seek to bring him in this month and are not expected to make a move this summer if possible.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that United are more likely to consider more cost-effective players if they bring in in January, such as Serie A Lecce's Patrick Dorgu, who has been added to the shortlist. The 20-year-old joined Pepper in July 2022 and has made 50 appearances to become one of the stars of Serie A. He also developed well for Denmark, scoring just 42 seconds on his debut.

The stats show that Dolgu's goals, shots, shots on target, fouls, dribbling into the opposition's penalty area this season are among the top 10% of full-backs in Europe's top leagues, and he is a modern full-back who meets Amorim's tactical requirements. Lecce put a price tag of €40 million for him, which is said to be a bargaining price, so it could be half that of Mendes. Lecce only spent €200,000 on him when they brought him in, so even if they don't open their mouths, they will definitely make a lot of money through the sale.

Fabrizio Romano said: "Manchester United have kept an eye on the left-back, they have added Denmark international Dolgu to the list, with Milos Kolkez and Mendes higher on the list, but too expensive. Manchester United scouts have been scouting Dolgu in recent months and Napoli are interested in him."

The Manchester Evening News reports that Luke Shaw could be aiming to return from injury this month amid the possibility of bringing in new rivals at the club. The key to Carlos England is not when he returns, but when he gets injured again. Shaw has made just three appearances for United this season, one less than Malacia. In the recent match between Manchester United and Liverpool, Fat Shaw made a special trip to watch the away game, because a video of him attending a celebrity New Year's party before the game was exposed, which made him questioned.