Amid Semenyo talks: Midfield duo with 313 PL apps now being targeted by INEOS as Amorim’s ‘preference’ confirmed

Manchester United are continuing their quest to sign Premier League-proven stars by targeting Antoine Semenyo, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Neves.Numerous reports on Friday confirmed that the Red Devils were well and truly among the mix for Antoine Semenyo’s signature, along with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.Semenyo: The state of play this week(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Fabrizio Romano even claimed United had been in direct contact with Bournemouth towards the latter stages of this week to discuss the terms of Semenyo’s £65 million release clause.The forward’s suitors will only have until January 10 to negotiate an agreement. Failing that, they will have to wait until the summer, when his price tag will have decreased.In addition to Semenyo, The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson also verified that United have shortlisted two stars with plenty of top-flight experience to their names: Gallagher and Neves.Jackson: Gallagher and Neves suit Amorim’s ‘preference’ of PL-proven stars(Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)The latter has been plying his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal since 2023, but is now in the final six months of his contract and is mulling over his options – whether to continue in the Middle East or return to Europe.As for Gallagher, he joined Atletico Madrid from boyhood club Chelsea in 2024.While he did enjoy a more prominent role in his maiden campaign in Spain, the 25-year-old has been utilised sparingly by Diego Simeone this season.Gallagher has started only four times in the opening 17 La Liga matches, which has led to him being completely overlooked in the England setup since earning his 22nd cap in June – before 2025/2026 got underway.It’s thought he’s keen on a potential winter departure to secure increased game time elsewhere and therefore boost his chances of making Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad next summer.The issue, however, is that Atleti are only willing to facilitate a permanent sale as things stand, whereas United want to acquire Gallagher on loan.