Manchester United are reportedly set to battle Arsenal in the race to sign highly-rated Borussia Dortmund winger Jacob Bruun Larsen.
According to The Sun, Manchester United are interested in a Borussia Dortmund winger. Surprisingly, it isn’t Jadon Sancho that has been linked with the Red Devils this time, with the club rumoured to be prepared to battle Arsenal in the pursuit of Danish star Jacob Bruun Larsen.
Jacob Bruun Larsen was brought in by Borussia Dortmund in 2015 when Jurgen Klopp was in-charge. The Danish youngster though, truly came into his elements in the 2018-19 season. Under the tutelage of newly appointed Lucien Favre, Larsen became a regular part of the first-team setup.
Larsen appeared in 24 Bundesliga matches and while his return of 2 goals and as many assists was from ideal, the Danish international made a lasting impression on the manager and other clubs, evidently, with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal chasing the 20-year-old.
Arsenal are in dire need of quality additions to their wide attack, an area that is begging for reinforcements. The Gunners have seen their pursuits of Yannick Carrasco and Nicolas Pepe fall flat mostly due to the transfer not being in the right economic frame as far as their budget is concerned.
Manchester United’s interest is a bit tenable. The Red Devils signed Daniel James, who is predominantly a left winger but is likely to be considered for the right wing as well, which is United’s problem area. But, Larsen bears stark resemblance to the Welsh international in the fact that both, despite having the ability to play on the right, favour the left side of attack.
Thus, adding another option on the left or bringing in another unnatural option for the right wing seems rather questionable for the club. Arsenal, on the other hand, are likely to push on for Larsen, with The Sun valuing the Dortmund star at £15 million. While the figure is likely to be far from reality, Arsenal could still get a deal done for him without burning a good chunk of their budget.
Larsen was reportedly pencilled in as a summer target for Arsenal by Sven Mislintat, who has departed from his capacity as their head of recruitment. Arsenal are likely to heed his advice after being priced out of other moves. United have been named but are unlikely to challenge the Gunners, who could have a free run in on Larsen if they move quickly.
