The name David Affengruber says very little to most people, but that doesn’t have to be the case for a terribly long time. Several giants follow his every move closely. While Ruben Amorim was still manager of Manchester United, he reportedly persuaded his bosses to make more requests.
Today, Florian Plettenberg has confirmed that Manchester United are one of the clubs that have had a watchful eye on the Austrian centre-back who plays in Spain. – And that they are still on the ball, regardless of who becomes manager next season.
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United’s season has been far better than the last. In fact, the Red Devils finished 15th in the Premier League last season – and this time they will almost certainly finish third. – It means more money, easier to persuade players with ambitions and a tighter match schedule that demands a broader squad.
Now that Champions League football is back at Old Trafford, the club wants to strengthen the squad. The goal is to stay competitive and at the same time have enough depth for all the tournaments they are going to participate in.
United currently have five experienced centre-backs, as well as players such as Luke Shaw and Noussair Mazraoui who could also step in. Nevertheless, they may well bring in another man.
Manchester United are one of the clubs that continue to spy on David Affengruber after a “strong season” at Elche.
The Austrian centre-back is said to be “planning a move this summer”, and he also has opportunities in Germany, Italy and Spain. Other clubs mentioned in the hunt – besides United – are Juventus, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.
Affengruber’s reputation is growing
Affengruber has never played for any of the big clubs, but his reputation is growing rapidly at the moment. In March 2026, Austria gave the 25-year-old his national team debut – as a right-back.
The Elche player has been on the radar since the beginning of 2025.
Sources stated in December that then-manager Ruben Amorim saw Affengruber as the ideal long-term partner for Leny Yoro.
Although the boss is no longer at the helm, the fact that the Red Devils are still scouting the Austrian suggests that they still believe he can be an important piece in defence. Of course, it helps that he has continued his development in recent months.
At the time, the price tag was set at £26 million, and it was clear early on that Elche knew it would be difficult to keep hold of him. Now it seems even clearer.
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