United preparing stunning double raid on PL side, €80m creative spark would be perfect for Carrick ball – report

The Michael Carrick era began in glorious fashion, as Manchester United overpowered noisy neighbours Manchester City 2-0 on Saturday. What the new caretaker head coach got spot on was his tactics and his utilisation of the squad. For far too long under Ruben Amorim, round pegs have been shoved into square holes. But not the legendary midfielder. He played players in their natural positions, as seen from Bruno Fernandes occupying the No.10 position behind the striker and playing a free role like he used to under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Portuguese was at the centre of everything good, and also picked up an assist for the first goal scored by Bryan Mbeumo. Creative spark needed Despite the stunning return to form, the club captain is reportedly open to leaving in the summer, having grown disillusioned with the owners and the project. INEOS were said to be open to his departure last summer as well, and there is plenty of interest from both within Europe and the Saudi Pro League. But if the Portugal international leaves, the Red Devils will need an incredible signing to offset the loss. And as per SportsBoom, the Red Devils feel Morgan Gibbs-White would be the perfect attacking signing. The 20-time English league champions were even ready to invest in January, but given Nottingham Forest’s precarious league form, they will not sell their talisman this month. Morgan Gibbs-White identified as the perfect fit But they are fully aware that United will return in the summer, and they will find competition in the form of Chelsea. Forest are likely to demand a staggering €80-85 million for the England international, whether they receive such a high fee remains to be seen. CompetitionAppsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Premier League2251––1,879′ UEFA Europa League5122–360′ FA Cup1––––75′ EFL Cup1––1–28′ Total (25/26)29633–2,342′ 25/26 season stats via Transfermarkt “Nottingham Forest are standing firm over the future of their star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. The club hierarchy has made it clear that the player is not for sale in the January transfer window, despite persistent interest from Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea. “However, fresh updates from sources close to the situation suggest that Manchester United and Chelsea have been tracking the playmaker for a long time. Both clubs are expected to renew their efforts in the summer window. January deal not possible, summer raid being planned “Manchester United are reportedly in the market for a creative spark in the final third, while Chelsea’s strategy of building a young, dynamic squad keeps Morgan Gibbs-White high on their shortlist. “From a financial perspective, if a move eventually materialises, the valuation is expected to reach a staggering €80-85 million.” The 25-year-old already has six goals and three assists to his name despite Forest’s struggles, while last season, he registered seven goals and 10 assists. Morgan Gibbs-White could prove an astute signing, but not for the price being quoted. He is not the only Forest player on the club’s radar with INEOS likely to go after Elliot Anderson to solve their midfield woes. Feature image Clive Brunskill via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25