The Peoples Person

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford’s future continues to be in the air with less than a week left for the January window to close.

The Mancunian does not seem to have a place in Ruben Amorim’s plans judging by his latest brutal comments with the player also publicly revealing his desire for a change in scenery.

The Englishman must have thought finding a new club would be easy but it has not proven to be the case. AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund have already left the chase amid Rashford’s adamant stance that he will only move to Barcelona.

However, the Catalan giants have failed to make space for him in the squad with Ansu Fati and Eric Garcia yet to depart the Camp Nou.

Rashford’s future still up in the air

Barca might also struggle to accommodate United’s demands of paying the United No 10’s wages in full even if he agrees to take a pay-cut.

With time running out, the England international could be forced to take alternate options with The Peoples Person recently relaying that Turkish sides Galatasaray and Fenerbahce have also entered the race.

But there are more options for the 27-year-old within the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United both eyeing the Carrington graduate.

While INEOS had made it clear that they would not strengthen a direct domestic rival, keeping Rashford at the club amid the rising tensions with Amorim might not be the best route to take.

Ultimately, the new co-owners would want to sell Rashford to the highest bidder in the summer and the best way to maximise his transfer value would be to send him out on loan so that he can regain his form.

As per journalist Alex Crook, speaking on the TalkSPORT Transfer Notebook Podcast, Spurs could look to take advantage of United’s conundrum closer to deadline day.

In fact, the agency that Rashford has reportedly touched base with in order to find an exit route out of Old Trafford have a great relationship with the North London club so a move cannot be ruled out at this stage.

Spurs could take advantage

“But do we get to deadline day when the European avenues have been closed? I think Barcelona are going to need to get players out in order to facilitate any kind of move,” Crook said.

“One of those Premier League clubs, or West Ham or maybe even Tottenham, who have a good relationship with one of the agencies that I understand, Marcus Rashford, has enlisted the help of to get him a move.

“Do they go to Manchester United and say, look, if you can swallow up a bigger percentage of his wages, we’ll take him? Could that well happen on deadline day?”

Whether INEOS agree to said demands remains to be seen. The saga is expected to run until Deadline day with United lining up Mathys Tel as an alternative should the 27-year-old depart.

Manchester United were facing the prospect of losing Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho this January with both wingers linked with an exit.

While the Mancunian had already declared his intention to leave, the Argentine was initially not looking to move but the club’s need to balance the books and Ruben Amorim’s own tactical system was seen as reasons for the player’s U-turn.

As a result, the club seemed to go into panic mode and as relayed by The Peoples Person, they were looking at Southampton rising star Tyler Dibling as Garnacho’s replacement.

It would not have been an easy deal to pull off given the 18-year-old’s £50m price tag as well as the presence of numerous other suitors in the race.

United could miss out on Dibling

But now with Chelsea moving on to Mathys Tel and Napoli’s final bid set to fall well short of INEOS’ asking price, there is a growing possibility that the Argentina international remains at Old Trafford.

Amorim has praised his impact and his ability to adhere to his tactical instructions and this indicates a thawing of tensions between the pair.

Which is why United could move on from Dibling and as revealed by TBR Football, Tottenham Hotspur are looking to take advantage with a loan-to-buy offer for the 18-year-old.

Spurs are in a disastrous run of form in the league and are in urgent need of reinforcements but whether their offer gets accepted remains to be seen.

Spurs eyeing loan-to-buy deal

“TBR Football revealed back in September that Tottenham were scouting Dibling – with Manchester United also keeping tabs on the youngster.

“Sources add that Tottenham do not have £50m to spend this winter, but could look to sign Dibling on an initial loan deal before paying the fee this summer.”

The English talent has already told the Saints that he will not be signing a new contract at the club and with the team from St Mary’s looking odds-on to get relegated this season, there is a good chance that Dibling will leave in the summer if not now.

Southampton want to hold on to their talisman given their league form but should the player put pressure, they will have very little hope of keeping a hold of him this January.

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Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly under consideration to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.

Ten Hag was sacked by United in late October, with his final game being a 2-1 loss at the hands of West Ham.

The Dutchman had been in the dugout since 2022 and led United to Carabao Cup and FA Cup glory during his two-and-a-half years in charge.

He has been linked to multiple managerial roles, most notably at RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund.

Now, Fichajes report that Spurs are eyeing Ten Hag as a potential replacement for Postecoglou, who is under immense pressure following the London club’s extremely poor form.

Spurs are in turmoil at the moment, having lost five of their six games in the Premier League. They’re currently in 15th position in the table and just eight points above the relegation zone.

The club’s defeat on Sunday at the hands of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City saw fans chant against chairman Daniel Levy, while Postecoglou also got his fair share.

According to Fichajes, Postecoglou is “on the ropes” and Spurs have informed him that his position is in danger.

“Among the names that are beginning to be mentioned is that of Erik ten Hag, who was recently sacked by Manchester United after a period of ups and downs at Old Trafford.

“Ten Hag’s experience and ability to rebuild teams could be key in Tottenham’s decision, as they seek stability and immediate results.”

The report further notes that the next few days will be “crucial” in determining who will take charge of Spurs if Postecoglou were to be relieved of his duties.

It’s understood that at the moment, Postecoglou retains the support of the Spurs hierarchy but results need to dramatically improve.

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With Manchester United languishing in 14th place, Ruben Amorim has asked INEOS for reinforcements this January but so far, no help has been forthcoming.

That is because the club is grappling with PSR concerns following years of abject Glazers ownership coupled with the exorbitant splurge on players last summer.

United are open to moving on high-earners like Casemiro and Antony but so far, no concrete approach has been made. Things are getting so desperate that the new co-owners are mulling over moving on academy graduates as they represent pure profit.

Marcus Rashford, who has already declared his intention to leave, is the favourite to depart but it is likely to be on loan for now with a permanent exit scheduled for next summer.

Garnacho’s future up in the air

That is why both Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, previously considered untouchable, are no longer in that bracket as they constitute the club’s most saleable assets.

The Argentine has mainly figured as a substitute under the new head coach since Amorim dropped him due to his lack of application both on and off the pitch.

With the Portuguese’s system involving the use of two No 10s alongside a striker, the left winger does not seem to have a natural role in the system with Amorim demanding a lot more hard work off the ball from his wide men.

The 20-year-old has shown he has the appetite for a fight with his impressive back-to-back displays against Liverpool and Arsenal with the Red Devils valuing him at €80 million.

There has been reported interest from Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain but Napoli, who have recently lost Kvicha Kvaratshkhelia to PSG, seem to be heading the queue for the Argentine.

But they have been joined in the race by Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur who are said to be eyeing the Argentina international as a long-term successor to talismanic captain Son Heung-min.

According to Football Transfers, the North London club are ready to bid €70 million to land their intended target, a sum that could tempt the 20-time English league champions into selling.

Spurs want Garnacho

“Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on Manchester United’s highly rated winger Alejandro Garnacho, with Football Transfers learning that Spurs have lodged a concrete enquiry about the 20-year-old Argentine’s availability.

“Sources close to the club have revealed that the North London outfit may be prepared to test United’s resolve with a bid in the region of €70 million (£60m), a figure believed to be enough to tempt the Red Devils into selling the dynamic forward.

“For Tottenham, the South American fits the profile of a long-term successor to their talismanic captain Son Heung-min.”

Strengthening a direct domestic rival, that too with an academy crown jewel is a bad look for INEOS and they must avoid this at all cost.

Garnacho has shown the fire in his belly to come good in Amorim’s system in recent weeks and the club should try and hold on their best players instead of searching for pure profit.

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Despite their most recent impressive draw at Anfield, Manchester United have struggled to score consistently this season and have scored as many goals as 19th-placed Leicester City.

Rasmus Hojlund fluffed his lines against Liverpool while Joshua Zirkzee keeps getting linked with a January exit despite his coach and teammates wanting him to stay.

However, the biggest disappointment for Ruben Amorim has been Marcus Rashford, who was initially played up front but his lacklustre work off the ball and in training eventually saw him lose his place in the starting lineup.

After being snubbed for the all-important Manchester derby, the Mancunian came out and revealed that he wanted to leave his boyhood club and the Portuguese has not played him in the last six games in a row.

Rashford’s future

INEOS have not found it easy to find the Englishman a new home in January due to their asking price and the forward’s massive £300,000 per week wages (via capology).

So far, only loan proposals have arrived with the United co-owners looking for a permanent solution. The England international has already ruled out a move to Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

AC Milan and Barcelona have emerged as possible options as they weigh up a loan deal with an option to buy and according to The Daily Mail, they have been joined by United’s domestic rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

“Tottenham are among a number of European giants who want to take Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United. Spurs are looking to bolster their attacking options and rescue their season despite being the second-top scorers in the Premier League.

Spurs join the race

“However, they could face competition from Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan, with his representatives having jetted off for talks with the latter. Juventus and Galatasaray also hold an interest.”

The report does not make clear whether Spurs are eyeing only a straight loan or are willing to buy next summer while how much of the 27-year-old’s wages need to be covered by the Red Devils is also not made clear.

Either way, based on how difficult United have found it dealing with Daniel Levy in the past, they should not agree a deal with the North London side.

Strengthening a direct domestic rival does not seem the brightest idea and if United are to agree a deal with Spurs, they should try and earn more than the reported £40 million while making it as difficult as possible for the Lillywhites.

Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images

Manchester United crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage after a heartbreaking 3-4 loss at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.

Ruben Amorim was guilty of making too changes on the night with backup keeper Altay Bayindir responsible for two huge errors which ultimately cost his team the tie.

It was the Turkish star’s first start under the Portuguese and he would have liked to have made a better impression on the night.

But his poor clearance for the hosts’ opening strike and his weak jump for Spurs’ winner were poor to say the least even though Spurs’ fourth goal was a contentious issue.

Bayindir was poor vs Spurs

With Andre Onana also committing a few errors recently, the former Fenerbahce star had the chance to stake his claim as a starter if he had managed to put in a good shift. However, it was anything but.

Amorim had refused to blame his goalkeeper but transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has now claimed on Givemesport that Amorim has decided to put the Turkiye international up for sale in January.

United are open to an exit should they receive a substantial bid. “Bayindir could leave in case Man United receive an important proposal for the Turkish goalkeeper,” Romano wrote, highlighting how ruthless the Portuguese tactician can be.

The 26-year-old shot-stopper has managed only four appearances since his €5 million move to Manchester in 2023 with former boss Erik ten Hag not his biggest fan.

Amorim wants Bayindir gone in January

Bayindir has been linked with a move to Hull City as well as Celtic, not to mention with clubs back home and it seems his time at Old Trafford is drawing to a disappointing conclusion.

He has a current market value of €10 million according to Transfermarkt and INEOS would do well to earn as much from his sale in the winter.

Amorim has not been impressed with the club’s options in goal and wants increased competition for Onana and should Bayindir leave, the Red Devils could jump for Illan Meslier of Leeds United.

Tom Heaton is also there at the club but Amorim is clearly not convinced with him either and it will be intriguing to see who the club can sign as backup.

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Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has confirmed that Mason Mount will not be available for selection during Thursday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Tottenham Hotspur, while there are also question marks over Noussair Mazraoui’s availability.

Mount started last weekend’s comeback win over Manchester City at the Etihad but he was on the pitch for only 15 minutes before he was forced off with an injury.

The England international hit the ground and could clearly not carry on any further. He was replaced by Kobbie Mainoo.

Mount headed straight down the tunnel for further assessment of his issue. The severity of the problem remains unclear at the moment.

Sunday’s derby was just Mount’s 32nd appearance in a United shirt since he joined in the summer of 2023 from Chelsea.

He has directly missed 37 games through injury over the past year and a half.

Meanwhile, Mazraoui managed 78 minutes of action at the Etihad before being taken off for Antony. Mazraoui was later spotted leaving the Etihad while limping.

Ahead of United’s meeting with Spurs tomorrow, Amorim gave updates on Mount and Mazraoui.

The United boss said [via club media], “Mason Mount is not available.”

“He has an injury. Nous, we will see today. The rest of the squad are ready to play the game.”

“We have to assess all the players and try not to get a lot of injuries. If we do that, we’ll be stronger in these kind of moments.”

According to Manchester Evening News, Mazraoui has recovered from the knock he sustained against City and he rendezvoused with teammates for the journey to London on Wednesday afternoon.

Confirmed United squad members include Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, Kobbie Mainoo, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

There was “no sign” of Marcus Rashford amid the travelling squad for Manchester United as the Red Devils head to London for tomorrow night’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Samuel Luckhurst (ManUtdMEN) reveals Rashford was “absent” from the ensemble of United players travelling to the capital as questions over the 27-year-old’s future at Old Trafford continue to swirl following his blockbuster interview yesterday.

Rashford was omitted from the matchday squad for the Manchester Derby on the weekend, alongside fellow winger Alejandro Garnacho, with head coach Ruben Amorim explaining his decision to drop the pair in his post-match interview following the dramatic 2-1 win.

Amorim revealed: “It is important to say why [Rashford and Garnacho were dropped], it was not a disciplinary thing. Next week, next game new life, they are fighting for their places.”

“But for me it is important the performance in training, the performance in games, the way you dress, the way you eat, they way you engage with your teammates, the way you push your team-mates. Everything is important in our context in the beginning of something when we want to change a lot of things, when people in our club are losing their jobs, we have to put the standards really high.

“For that, they have to fight for their place in the team and today the team we proved we can leave anyone outside the squad and manage to win if you play together.”

“I’m going to say again it was not a disciplinary thing. It’s the small details. You can see the games like I see, there are some things that have to change. But it is a new life, it’s not a disciplinary thing, it’s the performance in training, the performance in game and then I have to change, to choose players.

“If it was disciplinary, I would say that here and it will be a bigger problem but it was not that. It was just that I want to improve my players and you understand that for so long, for example with Rash, we tried a thing and it doesn’t work. Let’s continue to do the same thing or try something different?”

“So it’s as simple as that. If they train well with the talent they have we will be so much better with them. Both of them. But they have to work hard, they do, today they trained really hard so it’s a good thing. New week, new life, let’s see the next one.”

And while Garnacho has been confirmed to have been reinstated into the squad for tomorrow night’s quarter final at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, Rashford’s absence will continue, Luckhurst reveals.

Tweet: “Alejandro Garnacho travelling with the #mufc squad to Tottenham. No sign of Marcus Rashford as squad left Manchester.”

Speaking this morning about the game and the prospect of the two wingers being recalled, Amorim stated, “We have one more training. But it’s the same situation of all the other players. If they train well then I have to make a choice. We will see see at the end of training.”

“Of course [I expect a reaction]. I expect the best of each player every day so we will see after training.”

Yesterday, journalist Henry Winter released an interview with Rashford revealing the 27-year-old was open to a departure from his boyhood club as he was “ready for a new challenge“.

And while there was a refreshing honesty to Rashford’s words, it appears unlikely they constitute the “reaction” his new head coach would have been demanding following last weekend’s dropping. Amorim did stress in today’s press conference that United were “better with Marcus Rashford“, but the fact the winger has again not been included in the matchday squad underlines this further.

In a more positive update, Noussair Mazraoui, who sustained a knock in the win over City on Sunday and was considered a risk, has “recovered” and travelled with his teammates to London.

The confirmed United squad is:

Onana, Bayindir, Heaton, Dalot, Mazraoui, Yoro, De Ligt, Maguire, Lindelof, Evans, Martinez, Malacia, Ugarte, Casemiro, Fernandes, Eriksen, Mainoo, Antony, Garnacho, Zirkzee, Hojlund, Amad

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Manchester United’s on loan winger Jadon Sancho shone as Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 to go second in the table.

The winger enjoyed a fast start to his career at the Blues but recently missed a few games as his form dipped.

He did provide an assist in the Conference League a couple of weeks ago against Heidenheim and scored his first Chelsea goal last weekend in a 5-1 victory over Southampton.

The England international was named in the first eleven this evening and his side got off to the worst possible start at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, as they were 2-0 down after 11 minutes.

However, Sancho stepped in with a moment of magic after 17 minutes before goals from Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez won the day for the visitors in the London derby.

The winger received the ball out wide on the right, cut in, beating three Spurs players on his way, before unleashing an unstoppable drive into the bottom left hand corner.

Sancho also showed wonderful trickery for Chelsea’s second goal as he beat the Tottenham defender and played a fantastically weighted ball into the penalty area which resulted in a Chelsea player being taken out in the box for one of the clearest penalties you will see.

Sofascore gave him a rating of 7.9 for his fine display as he registered his second goal of the season.

He completed 47 out of his 54 attempted passes for a passing accuracy of 87%. Among those passes were two key ones that helped his team secure a vital away victory.

The 24 year old proved a menace for Spurs’ defenders all evening as he completed three out of his four dribble attempts.

He also got through some crucial defensive work as he won three out of five ground duels.

As United’s own wingers continue to struggle, numerous fans will look over enviously at what is happening at Stamford Bridge and wonder if it really was the right call to let Sancho leave last summer.

The English winger will next be in action for the Blues when they travel to Kazakhstan to take on Astana in the Conference League on Thursday afternoon.

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Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to compete for the signature of FC Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

United have been linked to the Dutchman since the summer of 2022 when they had a €85 million fee accepted from the Spanish club.

However, De Jong rejected the chance to join his former manager Erik ten Hag at United and the Red Devils went on to sign Casemiro that summer from Real Madrid.

Spanish outlet Fichajes is adamant that United, alongside Tottenham, still hold a major interest in acquiring the midfielder.

“Frenkie de Jong, one of the key players in Barcelona’s squad, could be close to leaving Camp Nou,” the outlet reports.

“The Dutch midfielder has attracted the interest of several Premier League giants, with Tottenham being the club that has been most insistent in recent days in trying to secure his services. This interest is added to that of Manchester United, who have been closely following the player’s situation for some time, although now direct competition seems to have emerged between the two English clubs.”

In a fresh twist to the story, it is added that finally De Jong might be ready to embrace interest from abroad and willingly depart the Catalan giants.

It is claimed that the decision to let the “fundamental” midfielder go is not an easy one for Barcelona but the financial needs of the club may “tip the balance”.

Interestingly, it is stated that “the possibility of exploring a new challenge in the Premier League and the temptation of an ambitious project could seduce the player.”

The 27 year old’s ability to handle the ball under pressure and precise passing are seen as very attractive qualities to both United and Spurs.

The Spanish site concludes by stating that Ruben Amorim maintains United’s long-standing interest in the Dutch international as an “historic transfer” could be triggered in the near future.

De Jong would certainly bring a level of passing to the United midfield that will likely be lost once Christian Eriksen leaves but it is debatable whether he would have the physical intensity that Amorim seems to crave in players.