Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should sign different free agent to Fernando Llorente

Posted Saturday, August 24, 2019 by Express.co.uk

Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not be signing Fernando Llorente (Image: GETTY)

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been backed to bring Fernando Llorente to Old Trafford - but they should go for Hatem Ben Arfa instead.

So Manchester United won’t be signing former Tottenham and Juventus striker Fernando Llorente after all.

Contrary to claims the Spain international was on the verge of signing a two-year contract at Old Trafford, the Red Devils aren’t interested.

Solskjaer wants his Manchester United side to be slick and super, rather than robotic. Moving for Llorente would have seen them bring in a striker with even less dynamism than Romelu Lukaku, who was allowed to join Inter Milan on transfer deadline day.

Yet while Llorente is off the table, United should still move for another free agent.

Hatem Ben Arfa remains without a club and, though he brings trouble, he usually produces moments of the sublime as well.

While United have stalled on replacing Lukaku, there’s a sense that losing Alexis Sanchez would be even trickier.

The Red Devils are open to letting the Chile international go after 18 months which he’s offered very little.

But United would be short in attack should the 30-year-old be allowed to make the move to Italy.

Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Daniel James, Tahith Chong and Mason Greenwood makes for exciting reading.

But throw Ben Arfa into the mix and United would be signing a player who would, bold as it may sound, represent an upgrade on Sanchez.

Last season, at Rennes, he impressed by scoring nine goals from 41 matches.

He impressed in the French Cup final victory over Paris Saint-Germain, the club where his reputation hit its newest low.

Before joining PSG in 2016, he had rebuilt his career in France at Nice.

Ben Arfa was in fine form over there, scoring 18 goals from 37 appearances and showing the form that once made him one of world football’s most-promising prospects.

It’s a shame, therefore, that his attitude sometimes clouds his judgement.

United have, though, a good track record when it comes to mavericks. Mavericks who feel Old Trafford is the right stage for them.

Dimitar Berbatov was one, Zlatan Ibrahimovic another. Both players enhanced their game during their time in Manchester.

And Ben Arfa could do the same.

But if, and only if, United feel selling Sanchez is necessary.