Midfield maestro desperate to join United this month as INEOS open talks, two stumbling blocks remain – report

Michael Carrick’s bold selection and gameplan ensured Manchester United overpowered Manchester City in the Manchester derby on Saturday. Playing players in their rightful positions worked a treat, as Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro bossed the midfield at Old Trafford. However, there remain question marks over the midfield due to the lack of options, with Manuel Ugarte the only other defensive midfielder in the squad. Ruben Amorim had wanted January reinforcements as well, but it was unlikely that any of the club’s top targets would be ready to move in the middle of the season. Midfielder needed INEOS and Carrick were set for an internal meeting regarding January business, and all things point towards a possible addition in the middle of the park. Whether on loan or on a permanent basis remains to be seen, but for now, Al-Hilal’s Ruben Neves has emerged as an option. Interestingly, there have been murmurs that the Red Devils have already submitted a bid of around €23 million for the Portugal international. This is the last chance for the Saudi Pro League side to bank a fee for the 28-year-old, whose current deal expires in the summer. Ruben Neves keen to join United As per Football Insider, the ex-Wolves skipper is keen to join the 20-time English league champions before the January window slams shut. However, Simone Inzaghi is yet to give the green light as he feels the Portuguese ace is key if the team are to go on to win the league title. “Ruben Neves is interested in joining Man United before the end of the January transfer window if they can agree terms with Al Hilal. “The 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and is interested in exploring a move back to Europe, which could happen before the January window closes. Two stumbling blocks “Al Hilal are reluctant to see him leave mid-way through the season and feel he still has an important part to play in Simone Inzaghi’s side.” Apart from agreeing a fee, Neves’ wages will also prove a stumbling block with the midfielder currently earning €332,692 gross per week (via capology). INEOS are unlikely to pay as much, and it will be interesting to see if Ruben Neves agrees to take a paycut to join the team from Old Trafford. 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