Manchester United have identified Dougie Freedman as the top target for head of recruitment. Here are his best-ever signings.
News broke on Tuesday the 5th of March 2024 that Manchester United are now moving in for Dougie Freedman with Crystal Palace braced for an approach in the coming days.
Ineos are understood to consider Freedman to be the ‘ideal candidate’ for the job having been impressed with his work at Palace.
He has an impeccable footballing CV, which includes a lot of strengths. One of these plus points has to be some of the signings he’s made, take a look at the best ones below.
Michael Olise: £8m from Reading
A player who could easily be donning the red and white at Old Trafford next season, Michael Olise is high on the wishlist of Ineos this summer – and was signed by none other than Freedman.
What a bargain he was. Just £8m at the time, which now looks ludicrous given the fact the Red Devils will probably have to fork out ten-fold this for his services.
A throwback of a Premier League winger, Olise has been lighting it up for Palace at Selhurst Park all season. He’s a fantastic player.
Eberechi Eze: £16m from QPR
Speaking of phenomenal attackers, Eberechi Eze is also a superstar in his own right.
Again, an absolute bargain. He was purchased for just £16m from QPR but has proved his weight in gold ever since.
He’s one of the Premier League‘s most dynamic attacking midfielders. He’d surely be on United’s radar, but that’s a position Erik ten Hag isn’t too worried about as of yet around Carrington.
Marc Guehi: £18m from Chelsea
However, a player that United are very keen on is Marc Guehi. He was yet another in line of a sea of Chelsea youngsters who have boomed elsewhere, with the English centre-half securing a move to Palace in the summer of 2021.
The Red Devils are monitoring him closely, hoping that he will be the ideal candidate to partner Lisandro Martinez heading into the 2024/25 campaign.
The expectation is that Guehi will cost more than the £50 million fee for United, which will be a club-record sale, taking the place of Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Palace to Old Trafford in 2019. Could he go the other way?
Joachim Andersen: £15m from Lyon
In our opinion, probably one of the most underrated centre-halfs in the English top flight – Joachim Andersen is yet another bargain from Freedman.
There is a pattern developing here. Freedman has an inept ability to spot talent before they’re worth big bucks.
Andersen was just £15m from Lyon, joining in 2021. He’s been an integral part of their first-team squad ever since.
Cheick Doucoure: £18m from Lens
Last but not least, it’s… shock! Another bargain – Cheick Doucoure.
Signed for £18 million from Lens in Ligue 1, Doucoure has gone on to establish himself as a fantastic midfielder in the Premier League.
These are just five of the cheap talents Dougie Freedman has identified in the past. Can he do this if he joins the ranks as head of recruitment in the future?