Why Man United dodged a bullet by not signing Corentin Tolisso

According to German publication Kicker (h/t The Metro), Manchester United were interested in signing midfielder Corentin Tolisso in January but Bayern Munich rejected their approach due to a lack of depth in Hans-Dieter Flick’s squad.

Bayern Munich signed Corentin Tolisso from Lyon in €41.5million deal back in 2017 but the midfielder has failed to live up to the expectations at the Allianz Arena. He had an injury-hit 2018/19 campaign and the French international has struggled for regular game time under new manager Hans-Dieter Flick.

Tolisso has made only 10 Bundesliga appearances so far this season. The report (h/t The Metro) adds that the 25-year-old has grown increasingly frustrated with his lack of game time under Flick and Bayern would consider selling him in the summer should they manage to bring in a replacement.

Meanwhile, Manchester United signed Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo before the January transfer deadline and the former made his debut in the side’s goalless draw at home to Wolves. However, the additions of Fernandes and Ighalo don’t completely solve the Red Devils’ problems.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have endured an inconsistent campaign as they currently lie eighth in the table, six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. Their campaign has been blighted by injuries to key players such as Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford.

Pogba has not started a Premier League game since September underwent injury in December to treat his ankle. McTominay, meanwhile, suffered knee ligament damage also during the Boxing Day win over Newcastle United. He has joined full training over the mid-season break. Rashford, United’s top goalscorer with 17 goals, sustained a back injury against Wolves in the FA Cup which has sidelined him for long-term.

To put things plainly, Solskjaer’s squad still lack quality and depth in various areas of the pitch. As United didn’t replace the likes of Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera last year, the Norwegian tactician should make it one of his priorities to reinforce the midfield once the transfer window opens in summer. However, United did dodge a bullet by not signing Tolisso in January.

Tolisso has failed to deliver the goods at Bayern since joining from Lyon, managing only 38 Bundesliga appearances in three seasons so far. The Frenchman missed the majority of the 2018/19 campaign due to a knee problem and has rarely impressed in the games he has played this term.

Read more

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• Why Manchester United are wrong in avoiding Lautaro Martinez
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The 25-year-old amassed 160 appearances for Lyon in all competitions in four seasons but injury problems and a lack of game time at the Allianz Arena have stalled his career.

Verdict

Tolisso is a solid midfielder with good experience in Europe but United not landing the French international is a blessing in disguise.