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Tottenham Hotspur are said to have registered their interest in a deal for Kobbie Mainoo, who could potentially be sold this summer.

For the Manchester United faithful, the prospect of losing one of their most exhilarating academy talents of recent years to a direct Premier League rival is unthinkable. However, it’s not to INEOS.

In the final months of last season, reports began doing the rounds revealing that Mainoo was no longer considered off-limits at Old Trafford as the club look to raise funds by any means necessary. The 20-year-old, who already boasts 10 England caps, 72 first-team United appearances and an FA Cup winners’ medal, is undoubtedly one of their most sellable assets.

Spurs approach United to discuss Kobbie Mainoo

Add that to the fact that Ruben Amorim has struggled with how to utilise Mainoo, and it may just pave the way for another club to unsettle him.

TBR Football claims Spurs have made a ‘shock enquiry’ to try and gauge the feasibility of signing the midfielder before the window closes, while Chelsea also retain their long-standing interest.

United’s stance is unconfirmed, but you’d have to question whether they’d consider parting ways with their homegrown talent prematurely if they fail to recuperate sizeable fees when shifting Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia; the fact Marcus Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan means the Reds have already missed out on the £40 million they were hoping to raise from his departure.

Mainoo mulling over long-term Red Devils future

Perhaps the main reason behind Spurs’ approach is that it’s been public knowledge for some time now that United have been in contract negotiations with Mainoo for over 12 months now without any joy.

He is tied down to a deal until 2027, plus the option of an additional year at United’s discretion, but if it’s appearing as though the Carrington graduate is leanign towards running down his terms, you can bet the club will move to offload him to ensure they don’t lose him for nothing later down the line – when his value may habe increased even higher.

Alejandro Garnacho is awaiting concrete approaches from his suitors this summer ahead of his anticipated Old Trafford exit.

The Manchester United starlet is one of five players to have handed in transfer requests in M16 after being made aware they were no longer part of Ruben Amorim’s plans.

Unlike his teammates, Garnacho has actually garnered a wide range of interest to mull over in the coming weeks, with three Premier League clubs believed to be in the race.

Garnacho sets sights on Premier League switch

Staying in the English top flight is said to be Garnacho’s priority for the upcoming campaign, so he’ll be delighted to have learned that Aston Villa, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen on adding him to their ranks – particularly the former.

TBR Football claims the 21-year-old is eager to test his resolve under Unai Emery by replicating the route taken by Marcus Rashford in reviving his form at Villa Park, albeit on a long-term basis as opposed to a loan.

Garnacho has ‘heard good things’ about the Villa project and has seen first-hand how young stars, such as Morgan Rogers, can flourish under the Spanish manager’s guidance.

Villa mull over Garnacho swoop

Of course, a move to the Midlands outfit would not allow Garnacho to play in the Champions League next season like Chelsea and Spurs would, but that’s certainly not the be-all and end-all if he’s been promised he can play an integral role on the flanks next season.

The Argentine international would likely get off on the right foot with fans, too, given he shared a snap to Instagram wearing a Villa shirt last month with Rashford’s name and number on the back.

Serie A champions Napoli are also prepared to offer him a route abroad for the first time in his senior career.

Much to Alejandro Garnacho’s delight, he is finally receiving the Premier League interest he’s desired since the summer began.

It’s been common knowledge for several weeks now that Garnacho has had his sights set on a move within the English top flight as opposed to moving abroad. However, his wish can only come to fruition if the sides actually make their interest known.

That could well be the case in the coming weeks, as the Manchester United starlet eyes an Old Trafford exit before 2025/2026 gets underway in a month’s time.

Who’s interested in Alejandro Garnacho?

It was revealed in recent days that Garnacho had earned a newfound admirer in the form of Aston Villa, whilst he was also aware that he remained an option on Chelsea’s shortlist following their talks with his agents back in January.

Now, according to Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are also monitoring his situation from afar and mulling over a potential swoop for the Red Devils forward.

The 21-year-old has been keeping up his fitness levels in the build up to the new season by training at Carrington – albeit he and the other outcasts in the squad (Antony, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia and Marcus Rashford) have been made to report to the training complex after 5pm when Ruben Amorim and the rest of the first-team have left.

Why United may have to accept a cut-price bid for Garnacho

MailSport’s report adds that Garnacho, an eight-capped Argentine international, was previously valued in the region of £70 million, but his public spat with Amorim has likely led to his price tag plummeting, with interested outfits now aware that United are desperate to sell their exiled academy graduate.

He signed from Atletico Madrid’s youth ranks in 2020 for a fee of £420,000 and has since racked up 144 senior appearances in red.

Manchester United could end up missing out on Bryan Mbeumo, as Tottenham Hotspur’s expected move might jeopardise the whole transfer.

The Red Devils have identified the Cameroonian winger as their next top target after signing Matheus Cunha a few weeks ago.

But while INEOS were able to recruit the Brazilian forward relatively easily, mostly thanks to a release clause inserted in his contract with Wolves, Mbeumo is proving to be a significantly more complicated affair, as it entails negotiating a deal with Brentford who are in no mood to accept any discounts.

Therefore, the Bees have already rejected at least two offers from Man Utd. So even though Mbeumo had already identified MUFC as his preferred destination, his future remains up in the air.

How Spurs can ruin Man Utd’s plans for Bryan Mbeumo

In recent weeks, it has been reported that the 25-year-old is also a target of Spurs who appointed his former Brentford manager, Thomas Frank. Nevertheless, the North Londoners never submitted a concrete offer for Mbeumo.

And yet, Tottenham could still sabotage United’s plans by pursuing the Cameroonian’s teammate, Yonae Wissa.

According to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, Spurs are interested in the Congolese striker, which could leave Man Utd’s hopes of signing Mbeumo in tatters, as Brentford are highly unlikely to sell their two biggest attacking assets in the same summer transfer window.

Therefore, Thomas believes Man United must speed up their attempts to close an agreement with Brentford for Mbeumo before the window of opportunity expires.

United must speed up their attempts to finalise Mbeumo deal

Last season, Mbeumo and Wissa formed one of the deadliest attacking pairs in the Premier League. Hence, many Man Utd fans have been urging the management to try to reunite them at Carrington, but as reported above, The Bees aren’t open to selling both men.

Stats in 2024/25 Appearances Goals Assists Bryan Mbeumo 42 20 9 Yoane Wissa 39 20 5

Hence, INEOS must try to land Mbeumo before turning their attention to signing a new centre-forward from another club.

It’s safe to say each of Manchester United’s Premier League fixtures from now until the end of the term are must-wins.

They enter matchweek 26 in 15th place following last Sunday’s narrow defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, who completed a double over the Red Devils for the first-ever time in Premier League history.

Should United lose and West Ham overturn title-chasing Arsenal the following day, Ruben Amorim’s side could drop to 16th by the end of the weekend. Additionally, Everton could hold a four-point advantage over the Reds if they reign victorious on their home turf in Saturday’s early kick-off.

In regards to the personnel Amorim is likely to have at his disposal, fans are well aware that he’s navigating an injury-plagued squad. He confirmed that Amad Diallo will miss the remainder of the campaign along with Lisandro Martinez, who’s just undergone successful surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament.

Patrick Dorgu impresses in first full 90 as a Red

No player covered themself in glory in North London last time out. However, supporters have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly Patrick Dorgu has taken to Amorim’s system in his first two appearances for the club.

The winter signing played the full 90 minutes against Spurs and ended his shift with some pretty stellar stats to show for his efforts. He made 10 passes into the final third, five crosses and created two chances, demonstrating exactly what the boss demands from his wing-backs.

Dorgu also won 100 per cent of his tackles, eight duels and made one clearance.

Alas, you can expect he’ll retain his starting spot for the forthcoming trip to take on the in-form Toffees, which is followed by a home clash against relegation candidates Ipswich Town on Wednesday, February 26.

Manchester United return to Premier League action this Sunday following an eight-day rest after their FA Cup advancement.

The Reds left it late to seal their progression in their fourth-round cup clash against Leicester City, with Harry Maguire coming in clutch by heading home from Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick in the last play of the game. Fans will be hoping any victory this weekend is more straightforward – though they’ll ultimately take what they can get.

Last time out in the top flight saw United fall to a 2-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, meaning they enter matchweek 25 in 13th place. A win in North London would not be enough for them to break their way into the top half of the table just yet, much to Ruben Amorim’s dismay.

Should Tottenham Hotspur reign victorious come the full-time whistle, they will overtake United by just one point.

United tipped to seal much-needed win at Spurs

Chris Sutton has shared his prediction for Sunday’s late kick-off (4.30pm) via his BBC Sport column, writing: “Tottenham demolished Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford in September but that does not really have any bearing here.

“Spurs are getting players back from injury, and Timo Werner, James Maddison, and Guglielmo Vicario are among those training again, but how fit are they going to be for this game? Ange Postecoglou says his players are out on their feet, and we could see that in their FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa, so a lot depends on how much they have left in the tank.

“As for Manchester United, well, I’ve been reading reports this week that some of their players are unhappy with Ruben Amorim’s style of play. There is lots going on off the pitch, too, with stories that more redundancies are planned at the club following controversy over a rise in ticket prices.

“Who would have thought when Ineos completed their deal to take a stake in United 12 months ago that, within a year, they could possibly be as unpopular with fans as co-owners the Glazers are?

“In regards to Amorim, I just think he needs time. He arrived in mid-season, he has his way of playing and United will have to give him the players who fit that system, so it might take a window or two before we see him with the team he wants.

“There needs to be patience there, but we also know football fans are impatient. They want to see some improvement in the short term, and it is hard to argue they have made any progress since Amorim took charge.

“I still have a sneaky feeling they might edge this game, but I cannot really tell you what I am basing that on. This is a big game for Ange too – now his side is out of both domestic cups – but I am going with United, just.”

Still cautious of the fact Alejandro Garnacho could depart before Monday’s deadline, Manchester United have a few potential replacements in mind.

The Argentine livewire has attracted concrete interest from both Chelsea and Napoli, though only the latter went as far as making a £40 million bid, which was swiftly rebuffed by United.

As for the Blues’ pursuit, they’ve – for now – switched their attention to Bayern Munich wantaway Mathys Tel, who’s also said to be of interest to Ruben Amorim and Co.

Throughout the season, one name who’s regularly been brought up in conversations regarding United’s transfer targets is Tyler Dibling. Recent reports suggested he would be viewed as a like-for-like successor to Garnacho in the event the No.17, who has eight goals and five assists to his name this campaign, is offloaded.

United among mix for sought-after Dibling

Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail has further verified that the Reds are on Dibling’s lengthy list of admirers – along with fellow Premier League strugglers Tottenham Hotspur.

The turmoil they’re currently enduring could force Daniel Levy’s hand into bolstering Ange Postecoglou’s options amidst a host of detrimental injuries across the squad, as Mokbel claims Spurs ‘would be open to signing the youngster this month’.

Hailed as ‘one of the best young talents in European football’, Dibling, 18, burst onto the scene this term and has been one bright spark during Southampton’s dismal return to the top flight. The Saints look certain to be dropping back down to the Championship come May, which would make it incredibly difficult for them to keep hold of their sought-after prospect.

A summer move would undoubtedly suit United more, too, as they don’t have the funds available to match the attacker’s valuation this month.

Erik ten Hag may be returning to England’s top flight much sooner than he – or any Manchester United fans – expected.

Indeed, Fichajes claims the Dutch coach is being mooted as a potential successor to the under-pressure Ange Postecoglou after Tottenham Hotspur’s recent defeat to relegation candidates Leicester City left them 15th-placed in the table.

While the source isn’t the most reputable out there, the prospect of Ten Hag taking the reins in North London actually isn’t that far out of the realm of possibility; he was approached by Daniel Levy and Co. in 2021 before the board opted to recruit Nuno Espirito Santo.

Tottenham have scheduled a ‘direct meeting’ with Erik ten Hag. He’s among the candidates to become the new Spurs manager – ten Hag is open to leave Ajax in the summer. Nothing decided yet. ⚪️ #THFC #Spurs

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 28, 2021

They wouldn’t have been left too optimistic by what they saw of Ten Hag in the Premier League with United. However, a club notorious for their tedious wait for silverware would think highly of a manager who was able to win two trophies in his first two seasons in England, with the Reds’ Carabao Cup triumph in 2023 ending a six-year drought in M16.

Ten Hag waiting in the wings with Spurs in turmoil

For now, Postecoglou will be given time to make amends following such a turbulent period, which has seen Spurs claim just one point in their last seven matches.

The side travel to Anfield on February 6 for the second leg of their League Cup semi-final with a 1-0 lead to protect, and the game currently looks pivotal for the Australian’s future. Should Tottenham exit the competition that night, you’d imagine Levy would be quick to pull the plug on another manager’s tenure.

Since being sacked by INEOS chiefs at the end of October, Ten Hag has also been linked with Bundesliga strugglers Borussia Dortmund, though the transfer package to bring him to the Westfalenstadion has been deemed ‘too expensive’, per Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg.

🚨⚫️🟡 There were new considerations and discussions today, but Erik ten Hag will NOT become the head coach of Borussia Dortmund at this time.

The transfer package is currently too expensive for Dortmund, and he remains on Manchester United’s payroll. #MUFC

Instead, #BVB are in… pic.twitter.com/8I87lRgI6i

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) January 22, 2025

Among the host of clubs mulling over a move for Marcus Rashford this month is a surprise suitor in the form of Manchester United’s Premier League rivals.

Indeed, Tottenham Hotspur are said to have established their interest in the ‘unsettled’ forward by joining AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Monaco in the race, according to Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail.

Barcelona have also been informed of Rashford’s situation, with reports from Spain suggesting they’re ready to go ‘all out’ for him on a half-season loan deal; their precarious financial situation means a permanent transfer mid-campaign is near impossible.

Talks have already been held between Milan and Rashford’s agent, Dwaine Maynard, leading some fans to believe the Serie A giants are front-runners as things stand.

United have under three weeks to resolve Rashford’s situation

Should the 27-year-old be omitted from Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Arsenal, it’ll mark the seventh straight game that he has been uninvolved, having last featured for the club on December 12 in a Europa League clash with Viktoria Plzen.

When pressed on Rashford’s future at the club and whether he could return to Old Trafford after a prospective loan deal, Ruben Amorim told reporters in his pre-match press conference: “We will see, guys! Let’s focus on the game. They are available, and they are training. We will see the selection for this game – but you have to focus just on playing the next game.”

Expectedly, the boss has – and will – remain tight-lipped on the matter, though that’s not to say there aren’t discussions taking place behind the scenes. The prospect of Rashford staying and being restored to the fold in the coming weeks remains on the table, especially after his £325,000-a-week wages have proven to be a stumbling block for several interested clubs.

Manchester United booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this evening, courtesy of a 5-2 win over Leicester City.

Goals from Casemiro (x2), Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes (x2) saw the Reds cruise past Leicester despite their two attempts at inspiring a comeback through Bilal El Khannouss and Conor Coady.

Tonight’s game may well be Ruud van Nistelrooy’s only match in the dugout, and if so, it’s certainly a way to make a statement in case he ever needs to be called upon again.

Shortly after the full-time whistle, Director of Sport Sir Dave Brailsford confirmed to supporters outside Old Trafford that Ruben Amorim’s prospective move to United was a ‘done’ deal. It comes after three days of constant negotiations between all parties, with all signs pointing towards the 39-year-old being Erik ten Hag’s long-term successor.

Amorim’s first shot at silverware will be the EFL Cup

While Amorim may have to complete a notice period of around 30 days, Brailsford’s words will surely be music to fans’ ears. He was INEOS’ first-choice candidate to take the reins following Ten Hag’s turbulent tenure, and they were incredibly efficient in getting an agreement over the line within hours of starting negotiations.

As such, he will be in the dugout for the Reds’ last-eight cup tie. They were drawn away to Tottenham Hotspur tonight, who had just knocked out Manchester City after a 2-1 win on home soil.

Elsewhere, Liverpool will face Southampton away, Arsenal will host Crystal Palace and Newcastle United host Brentford. The ties will be played from the week commencing December 16, giving Amorim ample time to get to grips with the squad at his disposal and, ideally, implement his play style.

Spurs have endured a mixed start to the Premier League season thus far, having won four, lost four and drawn once in their opening nine matches.