Now managed by Michael Carrick following the sacking of Ruben Amorim, Manchester United are looking to use this January transfer window to bring in a new defensive midfielder. The Red Devils are ready to make a concrete move for one of their top priorities.
Promoted to the helm of the first team after the departure of Ruben Amorim, following Darren Fletcher's two-match stint as caretaker, Michael Carrick has made a blistering start at Manchester United. At Old Trafford, the Red Devils toppled Manchester City in the derby (2-0) on Saturday in the Premier League, with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu. A superb performance that does not, however, solve all the issues within the squad, as the club's hierarchy are keen to strengthen their interim manager's options during this January window.
One profile is desired above all: a player to operate in the heart of midfield. While a twist could be on the cards regarding Kobbie Mainoo's future, Manchester United are working behind the scenes on potential replacements for Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro, both of whom may not survive the 2025-26 season. The Mancunians have activated several targets including Carlos Baleba (Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace) and Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), all highly sought-after and expensive commodities on the transfer market.
Man Utd table £19.5m bid for Ruben Neves
For this January window, none of those three are expected to be the chosen one. However, Manchester United could secure the arrival of a former Premier League midfielder available for a more affordable fee: Ruben Neves. According to Team Talk, Manchester United's hierarchy have submitted a concrete offer to secure the services of the experienced Portuguese midfielder, whose contract expires in June 2026 with Saudi side Al-Hilal. The Red Devils are reportedly offering £20m (€23m) to their Arabian counterparts for the former Wolves man.
Having spent time at Wolverhampton between 2017 and 2023, the former Porto man was sold to Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023 for a fee of £46.5m, after making 253 appearances including 177 Premier League outings for the Wolves. In fine form this season with the Saudi Pro League leaders, Ruben Neves has been regularly linked with Manchester United and is unlikely to remain indifferent to the Red Devils' persistent interest. It remains to be seen whether the departure of his compatriot Ruben Amorim will have any bearing on his decision to join Man Utd this winter.
This article was originally published on Top Mercato.
