Manchester United Women have been linked with Wolfsburg striker Ewa Pajor, with a record transfer fee expected if United continue to pursue.
The Polish international signed for Wolfsburg in 2015 and has since made 103 appearances and scored 78 goals for the Champions League side.
The question will be, with the club being in somewhat of a transitional period after the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and with United Women failing to qualify for the Champions League next year, can they persuade Pajor to sign?
The estimated price tag is thought to be around £500,000 which would make a bold statement about the club’s intentions going forward.
The club are also reportedly in the race to sign Juventus midfielder Julia Grosso but face competition from Real Madrid.
The Canadian international is out of contract this summer and could be available as a free agent although the Serie A club are keen to negotiate a new deal.
It is thought that a two-year extension is on the table for Grosso to sign, with a pay increase, and that the ball is in her court but she is open to hearing offers from other interested clubs.
Grosso scored the winning penalty in the Gold medal match at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as they beat Sweden to be crowned Olympic champions back in 2021.
United manager, Marc Skinner has made it clear that he wants to add more depth to his squad and after an unsuccessful transfer window in January he will be looking at making a big statement in the summer.
However, United’s priority will be strengthening at the back, since they have suffered with injuries which have severely stretched their defence this season.
Gabby George suffered an ACL injury in the first half of the season and Jayde Riviere has picked up a knock which could rule her out for the remainder of the season as well.
Aoife Mannion was called into action for United’s clash against Everton after being side-lined for the majority of this season so far and did well but has been prone to injury throughout her career.
It is expected that a number of players could be leaving in the summer forcing Skinner to strengthen in all areas of the pitch.
Fans have called into question the effectiveness of midfielder and United captain Katie Zelem, however statistically, Zelem is one of the best midfielders in the league and is likely to stay.
Irene Guerrero on the other hand may be looking to leave due to the lack of game time. The World Cup winner will be hoping for more game time to maintain her position with the Spanish international squad.
Meanwhile, Hayley Ladd signed a contract extension to stay at the club until 2025 but having just completed her coaching qualifications, it is thought that she may look for a player-coach position somewhere.
36-year-old Rachel Williams has also been tipped to go down the player-coach route. She is a likeable character in United’s dressing room and has the ability to turn games around with her vision as a substitute and could be an asset to the backroom staff in the future.
Meanwhile, Melvine Malard is expected to return to Lyon at the conclusion of the season as her loan deal expires with sources close to the club suggesting United are unwilling to make the move permanent.
Skinner’s contract expires at the end of the season but it is expected that he will sign an extension for at least another year.
A successful statement signing for him could help boost United’s chances next season and help restore some respect amongst sections of the fanbase that have turned against him in recent months.
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