Manchester United eye move for former Real Madrid defender as Erik ten Hag wants to bolster squad - Reports

Manchester United are reportedly interested in a move for former Real Madrid defender Miguel Gutierrez, who now plays for Girona. The full-back came through Madrid's La Fabrica academy, joining the first team under Zinedine Zidane. However, he played only ten games for Los Blancos across two years, eventually leaving for Girona in 2022.

The Red Devils are now interested in the left-back's services, which is understandable. They had to make do with Sergio Reguilon on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, as main left-back Luke Shaw and backup option Tyrell Malacia were injured.

Manchester United are looking to sort out problems in that position, with Erik ten Hag pushing to bolster the squad. According to Fabrizio Romano, it is a certainty that a new left-back will be unveiled at Old Trafford this summer. The Red Devils are looking at a number of names, including Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez.

However, high on their list is Miguel Gutierrez, thanks to his impressive performances for Girona. The former Real Madrid defender scored twice and provided seven assists in 35 La Liga appearances for the Catalonia club, as they finished third in the league.

According to AS (via Yahoo), the Red Devils have set him in their sights but Girona are not particularly concerned. While United will play in the Europa League next season, the left-back would like to play in the Champions League. The Red Devils will also need to pay his €35 million release clause to sign the player.

This fee will be greatly reduced if he potentially returns to Real Madrid, who could be interested in signing their academy graduate. They would have to pay a mere €8 million due to a clause in his sale to the Catalan club.

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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to take club to Real Madrid's level

While they may be battling for the same players in the transfer market, the Santiago Bernabeu has more of an appeal than Old Trafford. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo have notably lashed out at Manchester United for its poor facilities and degrading stadium in recent years.

However, following his acquisition of a stake in the Red Devils, Jim Ratcliffe is making plans to push the club to meet Los Blancos' levels. He revealed just how much work needed to be done in an interview with Bloomberg, saying (via Business Day):

“There’s room for improvement everywhere we look at Manchester United, and we will improve everything. We want to be where Real Madrid is today, but it’ll take time... United doesn’t have any players that are valued at €100 million or more.”

This is a far cry from Los Blancos' situation as they have developed UEFA Champions League-winning superstars like Vinicius Junior. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already pledged upwards of £200 million to revitalize Old Trafford and he will hope this can get the club underway toward greater heights.