By OkayGoal
Manchester United’s scouts were at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, and it wasn’t Bayern Munich they had come to watch.
According to TEAMtalk, Man United sent scouts to Bayern’s 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund to look at as many as four of the visiting players ahead of the winter window: striker Serhou Guirassy, midfielders Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha, and left-back Daniel Svensson.
Guirassy, Bellingham and Nmecha all started in Munich, and the point keeps Dortmund level on points with Bayern in the Bundesliga title race. That is part of the problem for United. A club in a title race has no reason to sell in January.
Who are the four Dortmund players Man United want?
Three of them are not new names at Old Trafford. Guirassy, Bellingham and Nmecha are long-term targets, and United have kept tabs on all three throughout the season. Svensson is the fresher addition, having emerged as an option over recent months.
| Player | Position | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| Serhou Guirassy | Striker | 30, Guinea international, eight goals this season, contract until 2028 |
| Jobe Bellingham | Midfielder | Long-term target, started in Munich, hefty price tag |
| Felix Nmecha | Midfielder | Long-term target, started in Munich, hefty price tag |
| Daniel Svensson | Left-back | 24, Swede, eight goals and seven assists in 80 games since arriving in 2025 |
United were far from alone in the stands. Almost every major club in Europe had someone at the game, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham among the Premier League sides represented.
Is a January move for Guirassy realistic?
Not really. Guirassy is Dortmund’s leading scorer with eight goals this season, and his contract at the Westfalenstadion runs until 2028, so there is no pressure on Dortmund to cash in. Prising him away is seen as extremely difficult and unlikely.
Still, you can see why United keep coming back to him. At 30, he is the sort of experienced centre-forward who would not need a bedding-in period, which matters for a side whose hunt for a striker already took in the England striker Leeds are now set to tie down. Age cuts against him for a long-term plan, but a ready-made goalscorer is exactly what a struggling team needs in the short term.
Why Bellingham and Nmecha may have to wait
Both midfielders carry hefty price tags, and United know how hard it would be to get either out of Dortmund. There is also a question of need. For all their problems in the middle of the pitch, United have plenty of bodies in central midfield, so moves for Bellingham or Nmecha could easily be pushed down the list.
That leaves the striker and the left-back as the more pressing jobs, and only one of those looks remotely doable soon.
Svensson and the left-back hunt
United have done work on Svensson, the 24-year-old Swedish left-back, and he is on their list as they plan how to strengthen that position going into 2027. He has eight goals and seven assists in 80 appearances since joining Dortmund in 2025, numbers that suggest a full-back who gets forward.
The search is not new. United went after Newcastle’s Lewis Hall in the summer but could not land him, and Hall has since signed a new contract at St James’ Park. United’s need for cover there has already brought Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde into the conversation. Svensson could be the long-term successor to Luke Shaw, but any deal for him is seen as more of a summer possibility than a January one.
Will Carrick even be the one picking them?
That is the awkward backdrop. Michael Carrick is fighting for his job, and United face Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday evening before facing Aston Villa on Sunday. Carrick was defiant in his press conference on Monday, but defeat in both games could cost him his post.
He was already under scrutiny after the defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and it is unclear whether Carrick will have any say over the winter signings. The scouting goes on regardless, which tells you the recruitment team are planning past the next week.
Verdict: Man United’s Dortmund plan is a summer plan
Sending scouts to Munich costs nothing, and every big club in Europe did the same. The harder part is getting Dortmund to sell, and a club level with Bayern in a title race will not want to lose its top scorer or two starting midfielders halfway through the season.
In every case, a deal looks far likelier in the summer than in January. If United want a striker or a left-back this winter, Guirassy and Svensson look like names for next summer’s list, and the shortlist for January probably needs to look elsewhere.