Why Man United should reignite their interest in Jacob Bruun Larsen

Back in June, a report from The Sun (h/t Daily Mail) had claimed that Man United were among a host of Premier League clubs interested in completing a move for Borussia Dortmund starlet Jacob Bruun Larsen.

Arsenal and Liverpool had also been potential suitors for the 21-year-old winger, who bagged 3 goals and 3 assists in 30 appearances over the course of an impressive debut season at Dortmund in the Bundesliga the last term (Sun h/t Daily Mail).

However, a move to the Premier League failed to materialize for Jacob Bruun Larsen.

Image result for jacob bruun larsen — Jacob Bruun Larsen has found regular minutes hard to come by at Borussia Dortmund this season (Getty Images)

Man United eventually went on to bolster their defence with big-money deals for Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka while Daniel James was the solitary attacking recruit to come through the door at Old Trafford this past summer.

Indeed, the Red Devils forked out a fortune to shore up their leaky backline and a defensive record of 19 goals conceded in 16 games so far represents a considerable improvement on last season’s numbers.

Despite their new-found stability at the back, United have often come under scrutiny this term due to their lack of creativity in the final third and the failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

Marcus Rashford has been the key contributor with 10 goals and 4 assists in the Premier League so far while Anthony Martial (4 goals, 3 assists) and Daniel James (3 goals, 4 assists) have also chipped in with some valuable contributions.

However, United’s lack of depth beyond those three players has been quite ridiculous, with the likes of Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira desperately struggling to make a positive impression.

Ole Gunnar Solskajer has relied on the versatility of academy prospects Mason Greenwood, Tahith Chong and Angel Gomes to fill the voids in multiple positions across the attacking third but it has been pretty apparent that the youngsters need time to make a big impact.

United have lacked natural wingers in their first-team mix, forcing Solskjaer to call upon the likes of Rashford, Pereira, Mata and Lingard to play down the flanks in his preferred 4-2-3-1 system.

All the aforementioned players are capable of playing in wide attacking roles but the difference has been there for everybody to see, especially with a natural wide player like Daniel James working wonders with his pace and sharpness.

To that end, reigniting interest in Jacob Bruun Larsen would prove to be a masterstroke ahead of the mid-season trading period, given that the Danish starlet would be yet another fantastic addition to United’s existing pool of talents.

Larsen, 21, has managed only 40 senior appearances for Dortmund since joining the German outfit from Lyngby in his homeland back in 2015.

The former Danish U21 international, who earned his first senior international cap earlier this year, is yet to start a single game for Dortmund in the Bundesliga this term and Man United should fancy their chances of prising him away.

Primarily a right-footed attacker, Larsen is more than capable of operating as a winger on either side of the pitch. His arrival at Old Trafford would certainly go a long way towards adding some valuable depth to Solskjaer’s attacking ranks while also increasing competition for places in the playing XI.

The Dane is still in his formative years as a professional and has his best years ahead of him.

Moreover, he could be available for as little as £15million, meaning he would be a massive bargain for the Red Devils.

Verdict

The 21-year-old will be out of contract at Dortmund in the summer of 2021, meaning that United would be well within their rights to try and negotiate a cut-price deal for the winger.

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All in all, Man United making a renewed attempt to sign the Borussia Dortmund starlet in January could pay off handsomely for Solskajer’s youth project moving forward.