01 September 2023 , 15:53
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Manchester United have finally signed Sergio Reguilon on a loan deal from Tottenham.
And while the Red Devils have only recently been linked with the Spurs full-back, the transfer is in fact a long time coming with United being keen on snapping up the Spaniard since 2020.
Back then, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was at the wheel at Old Trafford and identified the defender as a good option to compete with Luke Shaw at left-back. Real Madrid were open to selling, with then boss Zinedine Zidane deeming Reguilon surplus to requirements.
But the LaLiga giants weren't prepared to part company with Reguilon without a failsafe. As is typical in Spain, Real Madrid insisted a buy-back clause be inserted in the defender's contract.
United were unhappy with this and pulled out of the running, instead turning their attention to Alex Telles. Spurs, meanwhile, snapped up Reguilon with the buy-back clause in place.
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Reguilon hit the ground running in north London and there was talk that Real could trigger the buy-back clause almost immediately, but things started to unravel for the full-back and eventually, speculation cooled.
This leads up to now, where Erik ten Hag identified the defender as a cover option for the injured Shaw and snapped him up on loan for the remainder of this season.
The deal has seen Man United U-turn on their original stance to give up on signing their long-term target and inadvertently get one over Real Madrid in the process.
Reguilon said upon joining United.: "In life, you have to be ready for everything and the chance to represent this great club with such an illustrious history is one that I could not turn down.
(Alex Morton/Tottenham Hotspur FC/REX/Shutterstock)"Having spoken to the manager, I know what he needs from me, and I am ready to play my part in helping the team to achieve success. I know that I can contribute to Manchester United this season; I am ready to fight for this group and show everyone my qualities."
John Murtough, Manchester United Football Director, added: "Once it became clear that we needed to bring in another left-back we assessed a number of targets and acted quickly to sign Sergio.
"He possesses all the required qualities to help us achieve our aims this season. He has good experience in both the Premier League and in European competitions, so he is ready to come into the squad and perform straight away."