Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appeared to send a transfer message to Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake by telling him the club ‘need a left-footed centre-back’ moments after the defeat against the Red devils.
United’s push to get a place ahead of next campaign’s Champions League was strengthened further by a 5-2 win over Bournemouth at the weekend.
However, Solskjaer wants to improve his squad this summer window and signing another centre-back is believed to be one of his priorities ahead of the transfer window.
The Red devils are interested in Kalidou Koulibaly but Nathan Ake could possibly be a cheaper alternative if his club who are currently 19th on the table, are relegated at the end of the campaign.
And United fans are convinced that the former Chelsea defender is on Solskjaer’s radar after he gave words of encouragement to Ake as the players walked off the pitch at the theatre of dreams.
After bumping fists with Nathan Ake, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told the 25-year-old Dutchman: ‘Good luck’.
Ake replied, ‘cheers, thank you’, before the United manager appeared to follow up with: ‘We need a left-footed centre-back, so keep going’.
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Ake, who still has two years left on his current contract at Bournemouth, has also been linked with a move to Manchester City as they are interested in signing a new defender this summer.
Speaking last month, former Manchester United player Paul Parker urged Solskjaer to sign the Netherlands international.
‘I’d drop Victor Lindelof and bring in Nathan Ake from Bournemouth,’ Parker told Eurosport.
‘Chelsea don’t seem to want him, so now is the time to make a move. He has proven that he is a good defender in a poor team. He’s comfortable on the ball.
‘Being left-footed, he would bring the ball forward better than Maguire does from that side, which is needed because Luke Shaw isn’t good enough in attack either. Ake would balance the whole side.’
