Manchester United are searching for a Ruben Amorim replacement and could now be set to announce his successor before the end of the week amid recent developments.

Manchester United look for caretaker boss until summer

Despite being firmly in the picture to secure European qualification, the Red Devils and Amorim parted ways after the Red Devils’ draw with Leeds United last weekend after a breakdown in communication between the former Sporting boss and Jason Wilcox.

While his formation wasn’t universally loved, there was also friction at the club due to the 40-year-old’s approach to academy products who have either come through from Carrington or were brought in before reaching first-team level.

Kobbie Mainoo’s lack of involvement in this campaign is an obvious point to raise now Amorim has departed, while the club are also reportedly angry at the treatment of Chido Obi and Harry Amass.

On the flipside, Ayden Heaven has been a success story since his move to the Red Devils from Arsenal. Utilising academy talents who can develop into stars of the future is part of the mantra at Old Trafford, even if there is a process of trial and error involved in that practice.

Darren Fletcher’s interim charge will provide stability for the time being, and his involvement with their Under-18 side may signal that a couple of prospects could make their senior debuts under his stewardship if circumstances align.

Either way, there is a need for clarity at Old Trafford, and supporters will hope that can come sooner rather than later as Manchester United continue their charge towards a successful season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could sign Man Utd contract on Friday

According to a report from Norwegian outlet VG on Wednesday morning, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be set to return to Manchester United as soon as Friday by signing a contract to become caretaker boss until the end of the season.

With the 52-year-old scheduled to attend Åge Hareide’s funeral on Thursday, he could put pen to paper soon after to provide a temporary figure of authority in the dugout after a turbulent period under Amorim.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first spell at Man Utd

Matches

168

Wins

92

Draws

35

Losses

41

Enjoying a successful spell in charge between 2018 and 2021, Solskjaer helped Manchester United to produce some of their best football of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and also led the Red Devils to the Europa League final in 2021, losing on penalties to Villarreal.

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However, his reign ended abruptly a few months later, and it will come as a surprise to many that events over the last few days have put an emotional return on the cards.

Commanding buy-in from the players, he has previously been labelled a “fantastic man-manager” by Harry Maguire and earned praise from legendary figure Ferguson for his trust in youth players, something that is a staple in the role.

With the club now hopeful of moving in the right direction, it is looking more likely that Solskjaer will be the man to steady the ship after Amorim’s departure following the Red Devils’ stalemate at Elland Road.

Manchester United are now reportedly desperate to reinforce Ruben Amorim’s midfield and have sent officials to make checks on one of their key targets.

INEOS desperate for midfield breakthrough

It’s a new year and a new opportunity for Man United to turn a corner under Amorim, who could be in for a make-or-break 12 months at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils look destined to back their man once again in the transfer market this year, having splashed out to transform his frontline in the summer.

This time, INEOS are reportedly putting their full focus on welcoming midfield reinforcements after watching the likes of Manuel Ugarte struggle and Kobbie Mainoo fall out of favour.

Injuries haven’t exactly helped, with Lisandro Martinez forced to step out of position and into central midfield in recent weeks, but there’s no denying that United need upgrades even at full strength.

As such, a number of targets have already reportedly emerged. Names like Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson have all been mentioned in recent weeks ahead of what could be another chaotic transfer window in Manchester.

January is rarely the time to spend big, but reports have claimed that Man United are ‘determined to make a breakthrough’ in pursuit of a midfield star and that could force INEOS’ hand.

Given how tough it is to seal major deals in the winter window, it may yet be an alternative option to the likes of Baleba, Wharton and Anderson who arrive.

Man Utd send officials for Ederson

According to TeamTalk, Man United have now sent officials to make checks on Ederson at Atalanta. The Brazilian is among the Red Devils’ midfield targets and with his price dropping below €40m (£35m), they could make their move this month.

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Among all the Premier League names, Ederson is still one to watch. The 26-year-old is a talent in his own right and would instantly end Ugarte’s time at the heart of Amorim’s midfield.

League stats 25/26

Ederson

Ugarte

Minutes

950

554

Progressive Passes

70

32

Tackles Won

13

17

Ball Recoveries

64

32

For less than £35m, Man United could reportedly sign a player who would be an instant upgrade on Ugarte in a number of departments. The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder struggles most in possession. Ederson, by some contrast, has thrived when asked to progress play this season.

Related The new Rashford: Man Utd holding talks to sign "explosive" £61m star

This attacking star could add new dynamism in the final third for Man Utd

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Dubbed “out of this world” by former England manager Fabio Capello, the Atalanta man ticks several boxes for Man United as they continue their search for a midfield addition this month. Compared to Wharton and Anderson, the Brazilian represents an undeniable bargain.

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After battling the threat of relegation and eventually fighting back to finish in 16th in the Premier League last season, this summer transfer window was always going to be a big one for Southampton.

Despite the end of the season being barely a month in the rear-view mirror, the Saints announced their first signing with Mali winger Moussa Djenepo joining from Standard Liege.

After confirmation of his move, the 20-year-old took to

/ByqNM86ISdP/” data-lasso->Instagram to share a snap of him wearing his new Southampton kit and expressed his delight to be joining the Premier League side.

Djenepo scored 11 times across all competitions last season to help his former team to a very respectable third in the Belgian top-flight and is a part of the Mali squad that will take part in the Africa Cup of Nations starting next week.

Having signed the winger, Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said via BBC Sport: “He is an exciting player, with tremendous pace and good finishing. We have been impressed with how he has adapted to football in Europe and the impact he has had in many games, and we had an interest in him as recently as January, so I am pleased we are able to bring him into the club.”

Frank Lampard’s difficult start to life with the Toffees continued after his side were smashed 5-0 away from home last night at the hands of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham.

Going in at half-time, the Blues were already 3-0 down. The former Chelsea boss tried to turn things around with a substitution ready for the second half, before being humbled 41 second after the restart, with Sergio Reguilon sweeping home Dejan Kulusevski’s cross.

Harry Kane finalised the embarrassing result for the Toffees, who remain just one point above the relegation zone.

The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who Everton’s three worst performers were on the day (to have played 45 minutes), with Lampard perhaps looking at these three players for possible changes ahead of a difficult clash against Wolves this weekend…

Michael Keane (5.8)

Keane was ranked as the third worst Toffees player with a 5.8 overall rating from SofaScore.

The defender scored an own goal before being shipped off at half-time, as Lampard tried desperately to provide more solidity at the back.

The former Burnley man failed to register a single one in any of the key four defensive statistics – clearances, blocks, tackles and interceptions – while he was also dribbled past and lost the ball once apiece and won just a single duel.

Seamus Coleman (5.8)

Admittedly tied with Keane in terms of rating (5.8), Coleman played the full 90 minutes compared to the centre-back’s one half – so the Irishman ranks second worst for the day.

The Everton captain also failed to make a single tackle or interception during the game.

More damagingly though, he lost the ball 16 times and failed to make a single key pass or accurate cross, offering just as little going forward as both he and Keane did defensively.

Jordan Pickford (4.9)

With a poor 4.9 rating, Pickford was ranked as the Toffees’ worst performer against Tottenham.

This comes as little to no surprise, having conceded five goals within the first 55 minutes.

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The goalkeeper lost the ball on 11 occasions, with a 54% pass accuracy affecting Everton’s play right from the very back.

He failed to make a single punch or high claim throughout the match, and even made an error which led to a goal – topping off a performance which he would have been disappointed with, regardless of the score-line.

In other news: Everton: Lampard gives injury update ahead of Wolves

Tyler Roberts won’t play again for Leeds United this season because of a serious hamstring injury, as per The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Roberts injured at Leicester

The Welshman picked up the knock in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat away to Leicester City in the Premier League, having only come on as the third and final substitute, meaning he continued playing while clearly badly hampered.

It was a result that left Leeds further in the relegation mire, as Jesse Marsch lost his first match in charge after replacing Marcelo Bielsa as manager.

The hope was of course that Roberts would only be out for a number of weeks but a fresh update is far worse than that.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Hay confirms bad news

Taking to Twitter on Monday night, Hay confirmed that the attacking midfielder isn’t expected to play again this season:

“Looks like Tyler Roberts’ season is over. Has undergone surgery on the hamstring injury he suffered at Leicester. Three-month recovery period.”

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The Verdict: Another blow for Marsch

While Roberts isn’t as vital as fellow absent teammates such as Liam Cooper, Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford, this is still undoubtedly another big injury blow due to the impact on the depth at Marsch’s disposal.

Fitness issues have played a big part in Leeds’ struggles this season, with important figures unavailable too often and it clearly taking its toll on results, with fatigue and inconsistency often prevalent amongst overworked players.

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Roberts has come off the bench 16 times in the top flight this term, so Marsch will now be without one of Bielsa’s first options when a change is needed for the remainder of the season.

For Roberts, it could even be that he has played his game for Leeds, with reports linking him with an exit in the past and Marsch likely to bring in his own attacking signings this summer, such as Brenden Aaronson.

In other news, Leeds have been backed to sign one British player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham insider John Wenham – who regularly breaks news on his Lilywhites Rose social media channels – has hinted at a possible stadium naming rights boost amid ‘huge news’.

The Lowdown: Chelsea greenlight sale…

There have been numerous dramatic developments across London at Stamford Bridge over the last week after Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government on Thursday.

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The Russian oligarch duly had his assets frozen, putting the sale of Tottenham’s rivals briefly on hold before Chelsea were once again permitted to find a buyer.

In the last 48 hours, despite the aforementioned sanctions, Abramovich has now given his approval for the sale of Chelsea to go ahead, with Sports Keeda journalist and verified Twitter personality Sripad describing it as ‘huge news’.

Amid this major development, Wenham has claimed that the auction of the west London club could inadvertently lead to Spurs sealing a stadium naming rights agreement.

The Latest: Wenham hints at potential Spurs boost…

Speaking to Football Insider, the insider said that consortiums who fail in their attempt to buy Chelsea could turn to agreeing a naming rights deal with Tottenham as a way of investing into the Premier League.

He explained: “There are all these consortiums trying to buy Chelsea. I’m not saying Tottenham could be taken over but there are a lot of investors looking to invest in English football.

“Someone who is interested but ultimately fails to buy Chelsea might come up with the idea to sponsor the stadium.

“That is another good way to invest in English football and it could be done through a consortium or a subsidiary company.

“If you want to do something football-based in London, that is a great option. Tottenham are a very big club with global recognition, just like Chelsea.”

The Verdict: Top priority for Levy…

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been on the search for a £25m-per-year agreement for the club’s stadium since it opened in 2019. Talks have been held with various blue-chip companies, including links with Amazon and Nike, but Tottenham still haven’t been able to find a buyer.

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News emerged last week that Spurs reportedly held £500m discussions with an unnamed company over a 20-year agreement, with no update yet on whether those negotiations led to anything more advanced.

As the club aim to alleviate some of their mounting debt, Spurs will need all the help they can get, and supporters may well be hoping that a consortium could turn to investing in the stadium as an alternative to buying Chelsea.

In other news: Tottenham make pre-summer move as they chase ‘massive’ signing for Conte, find out more here

Leeds United will look to sign a replacement for Tyler Roberts in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Danny Mills, with the former Leeds full-back stating his belief in a recent interview with Football Insider that, after the attacking midfielder sustained a hamstring injury that is set to keep him out of action for around three months, Jesse Marsch could look to sign a replacement for the 23-year-old at the end of the season.

Speaking about the Wales international’s future at Elland Road, Mills said: “It’s not like he’s got an unbelievable history of fantastic performances under his belt. He hasn’t got a back catalogue to fall back on and say: ‘Look, this is what I can offer, this is what I can deliver more often than not.’

“I look at that and think a new manager will clearly bring in new players in the summer. There were the two links with the Red Bull [Salzburg] players in the January transfer window. We can see why now, it was long-term recruitment planning. There’s every chance that if [he’s] out for a while, it’s very, very difficult to get back in.”

Marsch must axe Roberts

Considering how poor Roberts has generally been since Victor Orta spent £2.5m to bring the 23-year-old to Elland Road back in January 2018, it would appear a very wise move for Marsch to look to move the midfielder on this summer.

Indeed, over his three complete campaigns with Leeds, the £7.2m-rated Welshman has failed to stand out, earning seasonal SofaScore match ratings of 6.86 over his 28 Championship appearances in 2018/19, 6.86 over his 23 second-tier outings in 2019/20 and 6.76 over his 27 Premier League fixtures last term – ratings which ranked him as the club’s 14th-best, 13th-best and 16th-best player in each season respectively.

It has been a similar case for the £45k-per-week man over his 23 top-flight matches this time out, with Roberts having scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, with these metrics seeing the 23-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.74 – ranking him as the Whites’ joint 11th-best player in the division.

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As such, it is clear to see that the player who Gabby Agbonlahor dubbed “shocking” and “not good enough” for the Premier League is exactly this, leading us to believe that Marsch should indeed do all he can to finally move the midfielder on this summer.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano drops huge Leeds United update that will leave supporters devastated

Everton are reportedly now eyeing up a move to sign Joe Worrall from Nottingham Forest.

The Lowdown: Standout season

Worrall is having a standout season at Forest, where he has been a mainstay in the team that are pushing for a play-off place in the Championship.

It is not just in the league that he has impressed either, recently putting in a ‘magnificent’ Man of the Match performance in the FA Cup against Liverpool, as he won three-quarters of his duels and made a team-high four clearances and five interceptions, while also contributing four tackles and five accurate long balls (SofaScore).

The Latest: Everton lurking

As per The Daily Mirror, the Goodison Park faithful have now joined the race to try and sign Worrall along with West Ham United, from whom former Toffees manager David Moyes is a ‘long-term admirer’.

Brentford and Burnley also thought to be interested in his signature.

Forest may struggle to hold onto the six-foot-four colossus if they fail to gain promotion, and if the Merseyside club were to survive, then he is certainly a player that they will be looking at.

The Verdict: Sign

Given how poor the Blues have been this campaign, especially defensively, Worrall is a player that would certainly strengthen their XI.

The Englishman is currently averaging more interceptions per game than Ben Godfrey, Mason Holgate and Yerry Mina in their respective domestic leagues this term, with Michael Keane the only EFC centre-back able to match him, while no Everton centre-half is matching him in terms of passes and long balls per match (WhoScored).

It shows that Worrall can do both sides of the game very well; he is comfortable in playing out from the back, while he also possesses a no-nonsense attitude to defending.

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Nonetheless, the Toffees could do no wrong by signing the 25-year-old.

In other news, find out what other Blues injury update has now been dropped after Andros Townsend here!

Manchester United have had a difficult season so far and now face a challenge to qualify for the Champions League next season, but they may have just had another setback to their season as Fabrizio Romano delivers some bad news from the World Cup qualifiers.

What’s the word?

The popular transfer insider revealed that Man United striker Edinson Cavani has picked up an injury during international duty for Uruguay.

Romano tweeted: “Bad news for Manchester United as Edinson Cavani leaves the pitch with an injury during Uruguay game.”

Worrying for United

Despite lacking in game time for Manchester United this season due to the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ralf Rangnick will surely be worried that the attacker won’t be able to provide depth as an option for the team in the front line ahead of their desperate chase for a top four spot this season.

The 35-year-old has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, but has also been on the receiving end of numerous injury issues this term which has led to reduced game time, but there is no doubt that when he has been available for selection that he has been a reliable attacking threat in the team.

Cavani has scored 19 goals and delivered seven assists for his Man United team-mates in 56 appearances over the last two campaigns, with a goal involvement every 113 minutes. The majority of his contributions at the club led them to a second place finish last season under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, scoring ten Premier League goals.

With that being said, in the moments where Rangnick’s side may be in need of a late goal, having Cavani as an option off the bench to come on and deliver would have been advantageous to the Man United boss over the remaining Premier League fixtures.

They cannot afford to drop points in their pursuit of top four with Arsenal and Spurs bringing tight competition to the Red Devils.

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According to Manchester Evening News, the extent of the injury is currently unknown, however it seems unlikely Cavani will feature against Leicester at Old Trafford this weekend.

In other news: Rangnick must wield the axe on “embarrassing” £180k-p/w MUFC dud this summer – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur have now launched contact to sign an attacking target ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal, according to reports.

Tottenham launch contact to sign £5m-a-year attacker

The Lilywhites have it all to do in the January transfer window. Thomas Frank is yet to win over the fans, both thanks to results and thanks to his more pragmatic style at times. The transfer window provides the Dane with the perfect opportunity to turn a corner before it’s too late, however.

They need an attacking addition, first and foremost. Although Dominic Solanke is still fighting to make his first appearance under Frank, there’s no guarantee that he will be the one to solve Spurs’ problems.

The same can be said about Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani, who have scored two goals and eight goals respectively so far this season.

So, the solution could lie in the transfer market and potentially in Germany following recent reports that they’re chasing Yan Diomande. The young winger has enjoyed an excellent campaign so far, breaking out and becoming a key target for several sides.

If Spurs are to finally replace Heung-min Son’s impact, then signing a winger who’s scored seven goals and created another four in all competitions would certainly go a long way.

Add Kenan Yildiz onto that and Frank’s attack suddenly looks far more promising. According to TuttoJuve, as relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham have now made contact to sign Yildiz ahead of Arsenal in 2026.

The North London rivals are reportedly in a tug-of-war to sign the Juventus star, but Tottenham will be hoping that their contact puts them ahead of Arsenal.

Yildiz would ignite Tottenham's frontline

The 20-year-old is reportedly causing Juventus quite the dilemma with his wage demands of over £5m a season. Arsenal and Tottenham, however, would reportedly have no issue paying the versatile winger that asking price.

Given his ability to play as both a winger and a No.10, the 20-year-old could be the player to finally spark Spurs’ attack into life, especially next to summer signing Xavi Simons. The Dutchman is beginning to show signs of his best, but his red card against Liverpool was undoubtedly a setback.

League stats 25/26

Simons

Yildiz

Minutes

924

1,247

Goals

1

5

Assists

2

4

Key Passes

10

34

The numbers do the talking for Yildiz. Even as Juventus have struggled to rediscover their best form from years of old, he has been an impressive standout.

Subscribe to our newsletter for Spurs transfer insight Want deeper transfer analysis? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear, expert coverage of Spurs’ chase for Kenan Yildiz, how it stacks up against Arsenal’s interest, and what the signing would mean for the squad’s attacking setup. Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for Spurs transfer insight Want deeper transfer analysis? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear, expert coverage of Spurs’ chase for Kenan Yildiz, how it stacks up against Arsenal’s interest, and what the signing would mean for the squad’s attacking setup.

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With nine goal involvements to his name in Serie A this season, the Turkish attacker is more than ready to make his mark elsewhere and has certainly justified a wage rise.

Related David Ornstein reveals major Tottenham salary offer to Antoine Semenyo

The Lilywhites made a sizeable offer…

Posts 1 ByBen Goodwin

Whether Spurs can fend off interest from Arsenal is the big question. The last thing they need is to watch a key target join their rivals yet again.