Man Utd yell Timber, Ten Hag wants £105m striker, Red Devils eye bargain De Gea understudy

Can you even fathom how popular you have to be to share your name with an animal and have your Wikipedia page come up before it in a Google search? I’m talking Seal levels of acclaim, Tiger Woods readings of fame and notoriety. I’m talking... Pitbull.

The Floridian rapper has long since been considered a figure of gentle mockery, but hey, the numbers don’t lie; three UK number one singles, 46 awards won over the course of his career, 34,384,049 monthly listeners on Spotify. The man is a juggernaut.

And it would seem that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is quite the fan too. Not only do the two share the same hairstyle (or lack thereof), but the Dutchman’s transfer policy looks as if it could be taking on a particularly globalist hue. Mr Worldwide would be proud.

So without further ado, let’s light this trail of Gasolina (yes, Pitbull featured on DJ Buddha’s remix of the track in late 2004 before you start harping on about Daddy Yankee), and get into all the latest Premier League - and specifically Man United - speculation...

Timber speaks out

There’s a deal going down, and Manchester United are yelling ‘timber’, according to reports. The Red Devils have been linked with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber pretty much since the moment that Ten Hag walked through the door at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old is one of several players who could leave the Dutch giants this summer after a tumultuous campaign in which they look set to miss out on the Eredivisie title by quite some distance.

Now, in a recent interview with De Telegraaf, Timber has made it fairly clear that it is his intention to leave Ajax in the coming months. He said: “My transfer is getting closer. There is a lot of specific interest for the summer. Last summer, Ajax asked me to renew my contract and to stay for one more season. Out of love for the club, I did this.” Sources don’t get much direct than that, do they? Alongside United, Liverpool have also been credited with an interest of late.

The 3AM Verdict: You only need to look as far as Lisandro Martinez to see how successful reunions between Ten Hag and his former players can be. The Dutchman knows Timber well, and if he believes he has what it takes to make it at Old Trafford, then United fans just need to trust in that. It’s no secret that the Red Devils need reinforcements at the heart of defence, and the Netherlands international could certainly provide that.

United push for Kolo Muani

Meanwhile, United are said to be looking at Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani and screaming: ‘I know you want me, you know I want ya’. There are a couple of caveats to this, however.

First of all, the Red Devils are not the only club who ‘want’ the France international, with Bayern Munich reportedly also in talks with his representatives. And secondly, they might only actually ‘want’ him if they miss out on a deal for Tottenham’s Harry Kane. All of this comes from Sky Germany, who provide a detailed update on the current state of play regarding Kolo Muani, who is said to be valued at around £105 million.

The 3AM Verdict: There’s no doubting Kolo Muani’s potential. At 24, he is just entering the prime of his career, and his return of 34 goal involvements in 40 games this season would suggest that he is only going to gather momentum from here on out. United need a proper centre forward this summer, and while they would be foolish to walk away from a potential deal for Kane if one did arise, there are far worse consolation prizes out there than the Eintracht Frankfurt sensation.

Livakovic considered

And finally, despite some shaky performances of late, United could still say ‘Don’t Stop the Party’ to David de Gea and offer him a new deal at Old Trafford. In the event of that happening, Dean Henderson might finally jump ship on a permanent basis, thus opening the door for the Red Devils to make a move for Croatian number one Dominik Livakovic this summer. Keeping up? Good.

According to the Daily Mail, United are keen on the Dinamo Zagreb stopper, who could be available for around £10 million, and is said to be an attractive option for a number of English clubs.

The 3AM Verdict: Livakovic impressed immensely during Croatia’s World Cup campaign, and at £10 million could be a cost effective signing for many a Premier League club this summer. If there is one concern about his game, however, it is his ability with the ball at his feet. Whether that would prove to be too much of an issue for Ten Hag is something only he can decide.