The Peoples Person

The problems seem to be never-ending for Manchester United at the moment with the club forced into a last-minute change in travel plans for their trip to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

As The Manchester Evening News revealed, the Red Devils were scheduled to leave for London by train on Saturday but were forced to take the coach.

“Manchester United are having to travel to London by coach for their Premier League fixture against Tottenham after their train was cancelled on Saturday afternoon.

“A signal failure on the West Coast mainline saw the cancellations of a number of services on Saturday afternoon and United will instead have to make a four-hour journey by road.”

Change in travel plans

The players were forced to board an inferior coach to travel on Saturday due to the superior coaches already being in place in London to ferry the team from the hotel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and back.

This is not the first time their commute to and from the capital has had to be tweaked at the last moment.

The team was scheduled to take the flight back to Manchester after their game against Fulham a few weeks ago. Instead they were forced to take the coach after their flight got cancelled at the last moment.

Thankfully on Saturday, the club already had contingency plans in place knowing the unreliable rail services between Manchester and London Euston.

Things are not going according to plan for the club on the injury front as well after news broke that their standout star of the campaign Amad Diallo had picked up a season-ending ankle injury.

“Extremely disappointed to be writing this message in such a crucial time of the season. Unfortunately, I will be out for some time with an injury.

Injury issues

“I will come back stronger than ever!! Time to support the boys from the outside. Still loads to play for,” the player wrote on social media to confirm the development.

Not only the Ivorian but Ruben Amorim will also be without three midfielders for the game against Spurs with Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer all ruled out.

The England international will be missing a few weeks of action and as a result, the head coach has had to look to the academy in a bid to fill the gaps.

Five of Carrington’s finest — Chido Obi, Sekou Kone, Jack Moorhouse, Harry Amass and Elyh Harrison are set to travel for Sunday’s game.

Confirmed United squad members (as per MEN): Dalot, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Lindelof, Heaven, Fernandes, Casemiro, Garnacho, Zirkzee, Hojlund.

Feature image Naomi Baker via Getty Images

Manchester United have called up as many as five academy graduates for their trip to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday amid an unprecedented number of injuries in midweek.

Ruben Amorim had hinted during the pre-match press conference that several influential stars could miss Sunday’s Premier League game but Amad’s season-ending injury has come as a huge shock.

To add to that, Kobbie Mainoo is also set to be sidelined for a few weeks while both Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer have been ruled out of the Spurs contest.

As revealed by Scoop, a reliable source of information on the United academy, the head coach has been forced to look at Carrington’s finest in order to plug the holes in the squad as a result of these unforeseen injuries.

Injuries galore

“EXCLUSIVE: Chido Obi, Sékou Koné, Harry Amass, Jack Moorhouse and Elyh Harrison have all travelled with Manchester United’s first-team squad to face Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

“Ruben Amorim has turned to Carrington to plug the gaps left by several unforeseen injury absentees,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

As previously revealed, Jack Moorhouse will be making the trip to London and fellow academy midfield ace Sekou Kone will accompany him.

The Malian had joined the club in the summer and was registered as part of United’s Premier League squad upon his arrival.

However, an injury meant he took time to acclimatize to his new surroundings but he could now be thrown into the deep end on Sunday given the number of absentees in the middle of the park.

Chido Obi, who has been on fire for the academy, has also been called up and given the first team’s lack of goals, Amorim might opt to hand him minutes should the Red Devils struggle against Ange Postecoglou’s men.

Youngsters to step up

Left-back Harry Amass is also expected to be called up. This was expected to be his breakthrough year but former manager Erik ten Hag had refrained from using him citing physicality issues.

He seems to have impressed the Portuguese tactician and could finally receive his United debut. He had impressed in pre-season and the club opted not to send him out on loan in January.

Promising goalkeeper Elyh Harrison is also expected to travel. The club decided to keep a hold of him instead of sending him out on loan for the second half of the season and he was present on the bench for the club’s previous league game against Crystal Palace.

Moorhouse, Kone and Chido Obi have the best chance of making it off the bench. It will be interesting to see Amorim’s team selection for the game against Spurs.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is facing a major selection headache ahead of his side’s meeting with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

During his presser on Friday, Amorim told reporters that a player was set to miss the game with an illness while a few others were also dealing with separate fitness issues.

Now, The Athletic have revealed that the problems are centred on the middle of the park.

According to the newspaper, Kobbie Mainoo picked up an injury which is set to keep him out of the match vs. Tottenham. Toby Collyer and Manuel Ugarte are also in a race against time to be fully fit and available.

Laurie Whitwell notes, “Ruben Amorim is facing a midfield dilemma with Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer all suffering injuries in training this week.”

“Mainoo’s injury is expected to keep him out for more than a couple of weeks, with Ugarte and Collyer also major doubts for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.”

“Jack Moorhouse, 19, has been drafted in for first-team training and is set to travel to London. It would be the central midfielder’s first time in a senior squad should Amorim select him. Moorhouse, a strong ball carrier, has scored three goals in seven Premier League 2 games this season for United’s Under-21s.”

It’s understood that the loss of Mainoo, Collyer and Ugarte would bring Christian Eriksen and Casemiro back into contention.

The two experienced stars have not featured regularly under Amorim amidst the Portuguese coach’s preference for younger and more mobile alternatives in the engine room.

Moorhouse may not be the only United youngster to be named in the matchday squad to face Ange Postecoglou’s men.

Prolific academy striker Chido Obi and his teammate James Scanlon are not involved for the under-18s today for their contest with Newcastle, suggesting they could be part of the senior team on Sunday.

Rich Fay of Manchester World pointed out that Chido Obi took part in training this week.

Tottenham vs. United kicks off at 16:30 GMT.

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has admitted that he expects his players to perform a lot better during Sunday’s meeting with Tottenham Hotspur following a fixture-free week.

United were last in action on 7 February, when they came from behind to beat Leicester City 2-1 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Since taking over as Erik ten Hag’s successor in November 2024, Amorim has consistently voiced his frustration over limited training time with his squad, but he finally got the opportunity he desired.

During his presser ahead of the clash with Spurs, Amorim suggested there have been a few fitness issues. The Portuguese coach noted that one player is a doubt this weekend due to illness while a few others are still continuing with their recoveries.

However, the 40-year-old still expects the team to be more fluid.

Amorim told club media, “We had some issues at the end of the week with players. And that was the hardest part of the week.”

“It was a good week to improve on physical aspects but also tactical aspects.”

He explained that Patrick Dorgu should be more up-to-speed with his style of play after a positive debut in the FA Cup contest with Leicester.

“We work with him and he is understanding better the way we want to play. He has some habits from the last club [Lecce]. In the first moments, he has had to change things, but it has been a good week.”

Amorim also said about Alejandro Garnacho, “Yes, he is enjoying the way we play. He is confident and he is good in the moments one v one. These kind of details, in a player like him, is important.”

The United boss commented on the Under-18s 5-1 triumph over Chelsea earlier this week.

“Of course, they have [done well] and we need them a lot for the future of this club and I am really happy for them. But they need to keep working because the Premier League is a different world, and they have to improve every day. So I am really happy and they need to continue.”

Tottenham vs. United kicks off at 16:30 GMT.

Featured image Nathan Stirk via Getty Images

Ruben Amorim says none of his injured stars are ready to return for Manchester United’s Premier League match against Tottenham on Sunday.

Amorim was answering questions at the pre-match press conference and was asked whether Mason Mount, Luke Shaw or Victor Lindelof are ready.

“No,” he said. “It was a good week until two days ago, we had some problems, we don’t have players back, maybe we have one or two issues, we are waiting. We have one player who is sick, we will see on the weekend.”

Asked about the news of further job losses at United, he replied:

“Our biggest problem now is Tottenham, we know the moment of the club, I have to understand these problems, but these problems in our club are not new. We have a problem at the moment, but that cannot influence how I coach the team and prepare for the next game.”

“Here it’s simple: to do something we need to sell players.

The boss was asked whether he felt Ineos’ plan to win the Premier League by 2028 is realistic.

“Yes, we talk about that, our focus is to win the Premier League and we can change everything in a few years. In this moment, we are in a difficult position, but we need to work every day and focus on the little steps.”

Turning to Sunday’s opponents and the difficult position Ange Postecoglu is in, Amorim said:

“I am a huge fan of Ange Postecoglou. He is a good guy, a very good coach. I understand the connection with me and Ange. We have the same problem. In my opinion, and with respect, I am at a bigger club, with bigger pressure, and I think coaches must follow their principles.

“He wants to play football in the right way and that’s a good thing. We know when we choose this profession. there are a lot of good things, but you have to feel the pressure when you don’t win.”

The head coach was then asked if he had seen Chido Obi’s hat-trick in midweek and whether he was under consideration for a call up to the senior side.

“I don’t want to say names. We have to be careful on that,” he replied.

“They are working with us – we had some problems this week – and we had some young players in training. He [Obi] is one of them.”

Finally, a reporter asked why Amorim thought players who had left the club seemed to perform better and whether it was a case of playing with more freedom.

“I don’t know, sometimes it’s like that, it can happen with any club,” he replied.

“This club has a lot of pressure and you have to have a base of a team to put younger and talented players that came from abroad to help them. if you are playing better as a team, and you have a strong core, like it’s supposed to be at this club, it will be more easy for these kind of players to play football.”

Sunday’s game in London kicks off at 4.30pm.

Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images

Manchester United u21s hosted Tottenham Hotspur in Premier League 2 action on Friday night at Leigh Sports Village.

United started brightly with Malachi Sharpe clipping the top of the bar after just a minute of play.

In contrast to the first team’s FA Cup match that was being played at the same time nearby at Old Trafford, the chances were flowing in the u21s.

Tottenham forced a big save from Elyh Harrison from a corner when Max Robson’s flicked on header looked to be creeping in under the bar but for the fully stretched Harrison, who pushed away to safety.

The two sides exchanged half chances but it was a mistake from Spurs’ keeper Aaron Maguire which led to the match’s opening goal.

Hesitation from Maguire allowed Sharpe to press and force a rushed clearance that ricocheted off of Chido Obi back to Sharpe to run through and finish into an open net.

Sharpe then had a chance to add a second after a nice move from Sekou Kone to open space in the box but Sharpe dragged his shot wide of the target, leaving the score 1-0 at the break.

Into the second half, Kone continued to shine with a defence splitting through ball to set Jack Moorhouse through on goal. But the midfielder was denied by a good save.

Obi had his first chance of the match when Harry Amass delivered a fabulous cross to the back post, but Obi’s header went straight into the arms of the keeper.

Up the other end, Spurs’ number nine Oliver Irow had a headed chance of his own but Harrison was up to the task again with quick reflexes to get down and save.

Moorhouse’s driving runs caused Spurs trouble throughout the match and on one occasion the Irish international found the overlapping run of Amass who crossed onto the head of Tommy Rowe to direct off the crossbar.

Amass and Moorhouse linked up again in the 73rd minute to double United’s lead with a spectacular goal.

Amass was pinned in the corner under pressure but managed to distribute an exception ball down the left channel into space for Moorhouse to collect. He charged 50 yards down the pitch and into the box to finish low into the bottom right corner.

Another mistake from the Spurs keeper almost gifted United a third when he passed the ball straight to Obi but the striker’s attempt was cleared off the line.

Two goals were enough though to secure the three points for Travis Binnion’s side, who have been in fine form of late and see themselves now third in the league table, just four points off the top.

United host more London opposition next with Fulham coming to town on Monday 17th February.

United: Harrison, Kamason (Munro 62), Fredricson, Murray, Amass, McAllister, Kone, Rowe (Scanlon 71), Sharpe, Obi, Moorhouse (J. Fletcher 79)

Unused subs: Myles, Musa

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has not been pleased with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, which is why the duo’s minutes have drastically reduced since he took over.

The Dane started nine times under former manager Erik ten Hag but has managed only five since the Portuguese walked through the doors with his last league start coming more than a month ago.

As for the Brazilian, he made a cameo off the bench against FCSB, his first appearance in over a month with Amorim making it clear that he felt the five-time Champions League winner no longer possesses the intensity required to play regularly.

Both the Denmark international and former Real Madrid superstar were linked with exits in the winter but nothing materialised in the end but they are unlikely to be at the club beyond the current campaign.

United eyeing Hackney

The Red Devils are scouring the Championship for possible midfield replacements with Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham named as potential options with the club’s scouts in attendance for Sunderland’s game against Middlesbrough.

Even though the duo were looked at, it was Boro’s Hayden Hackney who got himself on the scoresheet from midfield while also registering an assist and he has been a long-term target for the 20-time English league champions.

As per Givemesport, United failed to tempt Middlesbrough into selling their talisman in January but a summer approach is expected with the Old Trafford side hoping Michael Carrick will be open to allowing the 22-year-old to join his former club.

Another of Carrick’s former clubs Tottenham Hotspur are also in the race and a tug-of-war is expected to ensue for the England U21 international once the current campaign ends, especially if Boro fail to get promoted.

Hackney has five goals and two assists from 28 games in all competitions and he primarily excels as a defensive midfielder but can also play further forward if required.

Spurs vs United for Boro star

“Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are threatening to go head-to-head for the signing of Hayden Hackney in the summer as the Middlesbrough star has remained on the radar of recruitment chiefs at Old Trafford and Hotspur Way, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.

“Manchester United and Tottenham could make a summer move for Hackney after being unable to tempt Middlesbrough into sanctioning his departure during the winter transfer window, according to GMS sources, and they stand a chance of winning the race for his signature by lodging a bid in the region of £20 million.”

“GMS sources have been told that Middlesbrough are expecting the clamour for Hackney’s services to grow between now and the summer, meaning Manchester United and Tottenham are in danger of facing extensive competition for an agreement if they choose to formalise their interest with a bid later this year.”

It would reportedly take only £20 million to secure his services, a cakewalk for either English giant if they seriously decide to pursue Hackney. But a lot more sides could enter the fray and potentially end up in a bidding war which could suit Boro.

It is good to see United finally look at the Championship to secure top, young talent with many other sides far ahead in the game.

The English second division is a breeding ground for young talent and INEOS are slowly, but surely getting the recruitment game spot on.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to sign Mathys Tel for a €10 million loan fee after Manchester United reportedly refused to pay half of that in negotiations with Bayern Munich.

A transfer race erupted across Europe after the 19-year-old forward declared his intention to leave Bayern in the final week of the January transfer window.

Tel had grown increasingly frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities under Vincent Kompany, having been consigned to the bench in three consecutive games for Dir Roten.

United, who hold a long-standing interest in the French starlet, approached Bayern over a potential loan deal as the club’s finances could not stretch to a permanent transfer in the winter window. However, Spurs jumped the rapidly growing queue for Tel, which included Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa, by reaching a £50 million agreement with Bayern to sign the 19-year-old.

This appeared to draw an end to the race, only for Tel in a shock twist to reject the Lilywhites’ advances. Reports then emerged suggesting the Frenchman was “waiting” for a switch to Old Trafford, reigniting United’s pursuit.

Bayern were adamant they would not let Tel leave on loan without favourable terms, however.

A £5 million fee emerged as a sticking point between the clubs during negotiations, as did the German’s refusal to include a £45 million buy-option in the deal. Arsenal are believed to have hit a similar hurdle in their pursuit of Tel.

It appeared a road block had been reached with Tel’s only path out of Bavaria being a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which he had already rejected.

But the, in an even more sensational twist, an agreement was reached between Spurs and Bayern, with Tel’s blessing, and the 19-year-old boarded a plane to North London – for a loan move with a buy-option.

And now, Florian Plettenberg (Sky Sports Germany) reveals, it is the inclusion of an exorbitant “loan fee of €10 million” in the deal which appears to have won over officials at the Allianz Arena. Furthermore, Spurs have agreed to “cover five months” of Tel’s salary, totalling around “€2 million gross.”

This brings the total potential cost of the five month loan to €12 million (£10 million) – double what United had already refused to pay.

Tweet: “FC Bayern will receive a loan fee of €10 million for Mathys #Tel. As first via @cfbayern and confirmed. In addition, Tottenham will cover five months of his salary, amounting to around €2 million gross.

For the summer, #COYS have secured an option to buy of around €55m, which can rise to €60m with bonus payments. However: Tel has made sure that he will have a decisive say in whether Tottenham exercise the purchase option.

There is no mandatory buy clause, as Bayern had initially preferred – this was also at Tel’s request.”

A buy option of €55 million (potentially rising to €60) has been included in the deal, meaning the overall price to sign Tel could reach just under £60 million when the various fees are included – far surpassing the £50 million permanent transfer Spurs had originally agreed with Bayern.

Undoubtedly, United were in desperate need of attacking reinforcements in the winter window.

But given this particular option included such an unfavourable selection of conditions to sign a relatively experienced (albeit highly-rated) 19-year-old attacker who is best deployed on the left-wing, it is understandable why the club chose to withdraw from talks to sign Tel.

It remains to be seen whether this will prove a wise decision in the long-run, however.

The end of the January transfer window is set to get extremely hectic for Manchester United with multiple players linked with late exits.

Chief among them being Alejandro Garnacho with Premier League rivals Chelsea and Napoli eyeing the 20-year-old. United had slapped a £80 million price tag on his head.

And now according to The Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur have joined them in the race with Ange Postecoglou’s men in dire need of reinforcements.

Spurs were initially hoping to conclude a deal for Mathys Tel of Bayern Munich but the Frenchman rejected their approach and has his eyes on moving to Old Trafford.

Spurs eyeing Garnacho

Now, a desperate Daniel Levy is eyeing the Carrington graduate with INEOS reportedly open to a sale should the North London team submit a bid in the region of £60 million.

“Tottenham have made an enquiry for Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho after missing out on Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.

“United have been willing to sell for around £60m amid interest from Chelsea and Napoli. It is unclear whether Garnacho would consider the move to Tottenham at this stage.”

Whether the Argentina international agrees to move to Spurs remains doubtful. And Amorim has also made it clear to the co-owners that he does not want to lose the Argentina international.

Will United sell?

After Amorim dropped him from the Manchester derby squad, the versatile winger has completely revamped his game and has taken the new coach’s advice on board regarding both his on-field and off-field activities.

And the ex-Sporting Lisbon boss has had nothing but words of praise for the United No 17, who produced another stunning cameo off the bench for the 20-time English league champions against FCSB in the Europa League on Thursday.

Selling Garnacho to a direct domestic rival for the price tag mentioned in the report would be scandalous. It is clear that INEOS are eyeing pure profit to balance the books but surely, the fan-favourite is worth a lot more.

Given how difficult United have found it to deal with Daniel Levy in the past, United should try and make it extremely hard for them.

It would suit the club should Marcus Rashford join the Lilywhites instead but whether the Mancunian will entertain the idea is still not clear.

Feature image Gareth Copley via Getty Images

Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly reached a €60m agreement for Manchester United target Mathys Tel.

Tel put Premier League clubs on red alert after it emerged that he wants to leave Bayern before the close of the winter transfer window on February 3.

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl confirmed as much, indicating that he has been inundated with calls from interested parties keen on signing Tel.

United want him but only on an initial loan deal. Tel is believed to prefer a switch to Old Trafford ahead of any other possible transfer destinations.

Other teams mentioned to be in the race to secure the 19-year-old’s services include Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Spurs.

Now, Le Parisien reveal that “things are speeding up” for Tel after several clubs “smelled a good deal” to “snatch his signature.” Spurs have gone a step further, striking a €60m agreement with Bayern for the Frenchman.

This sum represents more than double the amount the Bundesliga giants forked out to recruit him from Rennes in the summer of 2022.

L’Equipe also state that Spurs and Bayern have wrapped up an agreement that would see Tel join Ange Postecoglou’s ranks in North London.

Spurs’ technical director Johan Lange recently jetted to Germany to persuade Tel he should pursue his career with the Lilywhites.

Both publications however note that the highly-rated Tel has yet to make a final decision over his future.

He wants to listen to all offers that are presented to him before settling on his next club. The player will prioritise a move that will give him the most chance of featuring regularly.

Tel’s contract with Bayern runs until 2029.