Erik ten Hag is happy that Marcel Sabitzer has been signed by Manchester United at the last minute and believes the Bayern Munich midfielder will fit in well at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were dealt a serious injury setback at the beginning of the week when Christian Eriksen was declared out until at least the end of April, and Scott McTominay is also expected to miss a few weeks.
In order to find a temporary substitute, United acted quickly and reached a deadline-day agreement with Bayern Munich to lend Sabitzer to them until the end of the current campaign.
With Sabitzer very eager to leave his mark at Old Trafford, Ten Hag is happy with the deal, and he has assured the fans that the 28-year-old will cover for the injured Eriksen. The manager was asked about the new signing after Wednesday’s victory over Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal. As reported by the club’s official website, the Dutch boss said:
We are really happy with that transfer because we need it after Donny van de Beek dropped out, now Christian Eriksen for a longer time and also, I think for a short time, Scott McTominay is also not available.“So that gives us a shortage of midfield players. But then to bring a quality player in on deadline day that is difficult, and we got this opportunity.”
United is rumoured to have inquired about Ryan Gravenberch’s availability as well, but Bayern wanted to hold onto the young Dutchman who worked for Ten Hag at Ajax.
With 23 appearances across all competitions in the first half of the season, Sabitzer was perhaps surprisingly declared surplus to requirements despite having played three times as many minutes for Bayern this season as Gravenberch.
It will not matter much to United, as they have found their best replacement for Eriksen, at least for the next two or three months.
Sabitzer could be eligible to make his debut for the Red Devils against Crystal Palace in the next league match this weekend.
