Manchester United are reportedly on ‘red alert’ as they are considering a shock double swoop to sign two players from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover at the start of this year, Man Utd were busy in the summer as they spent around £185m on new signings. They recruited Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte.

Despite this, the Red Devils made a terrible start to the 2024/25 campaign and former boss Erik ten Hag was sacked last month.

Ratcliffe and his recruitment team acted quickly and decisively to acquire his replacement and they appointed Ruben Amorim, who has left Sporting Lisbon to take over at Old Trafford.

Amorim has a big job at Man Utd and he could push the board to make signings in January. The Premier League giants are already being linked with several potential targets and a surprise raid on Chelsea has been mooted.

Earlier this week, a report claimed Christopher Nkunku is ‘unhappy’ at Chelsea and Man Utd were making a move to make him Amorim’s first signing.

READ: Five PL moves for Ruud van Nistelrooy post-Man Utd include replacing Ange Postecoglou at Spurs

A new report from Football Insider claims Nkunku’s ‘response’ to interest from Man Utd is that he is ‘attracted’ by the possibility of joining Chelsea’s rivals.

Nkunku joined Chelsea for around £52m during the 2023 summer transfer window but missed most of his debut season with a serious knee injury.

This season, the Frenchman has starred in cup competitions but has only started one Premier League game as he’s behind Nicolas Jackson in the pecking order.

The report explains.

‘It is believed the France international could take matters into his own hands next year as he is “unhappy” to play a backup role to the club’s other forwards.

‘Nicolas Jackson is the undisputed first-choice striker for Enzo Maresca, who succeeded Mauricio Pochettino in the summer.

‘Sources say Nkunku would be attracted to a potential Old Trafford move should the opportunity arise, with the player keen to play regular first-team football.’

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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has also been on the periphery following his move to Chelsea. A report from journalist Mark Brus claims they are ‘already open’ to letting him leave and Man Utd are on ‘red alert’.

‘Chelsea could be open to allowing one of their major summer signings to leave the club already as we edge closer to the January transfer window, sources have told the Daily Briefing…

‘Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has had a difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge and it’s understood that Chelsea could already consider letting the 26-year-old move on, most likely on loan.

‘Although Dewsbury-Hall was a key player for Enzo Maresca when they were together at Leicester City last season, it’s proven difficult for the former Foxes playmaker to secure regular playing time for Chelsea.

‘The Blues have plenty of competition for places in their midfield, and Dewsbury-Hall could now do well to look at other options if he is to revive his career.

‘The Daily Briefing have been told that Manchester United and Tottenham are among the Englishman’s most high-profile suitors ahead of January, though it remains to be seen if Chelsea will allow him to join a big six rival.

‘Alongside those clubs, it is also understood that others in the Premier League such as Newcastle, Aston Villa, Fulham, Brighton and Brentford could also be ready to rescue Dewsbury-Hall from his difficult situation at Chelsea.’

Manchester United have had high hopes for their young centre-back Leny Yoro since he arrived at the club in the summer from Lille.

United fended off interest from Real Madrid to seal the signing of one of Europe’s hottest prospects, though for United fans, they have had to be patient in seeing their new man play for the club.

Yoro started matches against Rangers and Arsenal in pre season, but he had to come off in the latter after suffering an ankle injury.

The setback meant Yoro didn’t actually play under Erik ten Hag in a competitive game, the man who signed him, with the Dutch boss losing his job last month.

Ten Hag’s successor Ruben Amorim arrived at Carrington earlier this week, with the former Sporting Lisbon coach pictured with Yoro.

According to the reliable Fabrizio Romano, Amorim and his staff view Yoro as one of the most interesting players to develop as United aim to build a long term project.

The Italian journalist also revealed United consider the 19-year-old a generational talent, with Amorim in agreement on that.

Yoro’s full recovery is said to be at the final stages, with the wait almost over for the French teenager to show out at Old Trafford.

🔴🇫🇷 Ruben Amorim and his staff consider Leny Yoro one of the most interesting players to develop for Man United’s long term project.

He’s considered a generational talent by the club and Amorim with his staff fully agree on that.

Yoro’s full recovery is also at final stages. pic.twitter.com/Yvl8t75Voz

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 13, 2024

Yoro played 60 games for his boyhood club Lille, though was sought after among clubs across Europe from his earliest stages. Many within the game have compared him to former United and France defender Raphael Varane, due to his figure, profile, nationality and the age in which he made his big move.

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Varane was also just 18-years-old when he switched RC Lens for Real Madrid. Madrid pipped United to Varane’s signature, though the Reds were sure to land their man this time round after seemingly realising they secured the services of Varane after he had passed his best.

It will be interesting to see how United line up under new boss Amorim, who has adopted a three at the back system ever since his early days in career as Casa Pia boss.

Should that be the case at United, Yoro would be expected to play as the right centre-back, alongside fellow summer signing Matthijs De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, who could be deemed as a natural fit for the left-sided position.

Martinez excels on the ball, while having also covered at left-back this season with United still without a recognised full-back on that side.

Both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are close to returning to full fitness, with the latter having featured for the Under 21’s against Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night.

Kobbie Mainoo has taken the world by storm since making his first Premier League start against Everton at Goodison Park last year.

Since living up to the hype in his first year in the game, Mainoo ended last season having played and won the FA Cup final with Manchester United, as well as playing a key part in England’s second placed finish at the Euro’s in Germany.

While in camp, Mainoo struck up a good partnership with fellow Mancunian, Cole Palmer, with the pair becoming quite competitive in their time away from the pitch.

Speaking to British GQ, Palmer claimed: “I’m better at table tennis, he’s better at padel,” to which Mainoo replied: “You don’t believe that. Table tennis!?”

Padel became quite popular at England’s Blankenheim base in Germany, with Phil Foden and Adam Wharton also getting involved with the duo.

On the pitch, Mainoo offers something different to his compatriots, with qualities we haven’t often seen in English midfielders in years gone by.

“I like to watch Busquets, the way he used to turn. Players like Seedorf, Modric. Players like Yaya Toure – I like the way he used to play,” he said.

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Mainoo’s most impressive attribute is his press resistance and ability to keep hold of the ball. He rarely makes the wrong decisions in possession.

He is seen as someone who plays quite off the cuff. He said: “I don’t think about it too much. It’s more an in-the-moment type of thing. Like if I check, I see a guy here, then I’ll turn this way. Or if I don’t have to do that, I can just bounce out. I don’t think, like, I’m gonna turn here… it’s more that if the defender gives me an option, then I’m gonna take it.”

United have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with youth players, with 250 academy graduates debuting for the first team dating back to 1937. Ever since October that year, United have had an academy graduate in the match day squad.

Mainoo believes United’s insistence on youth is what gave him his opportunity.

He said: “I feel like at United it’s very much in the history that they play young players, going all the way back to the Busby Babes. There’s big writing up on the wall [at Carrington] saying, ‘If they’re good enough, they’re old enough.’”

Mainoo’s biggest career success to date is the FA Cup final where United beat the odds at Wembley in May to beat their cross-town rivals Manchester City.

On the triumph, Mainoo recalls: “I remember just the feeling around it was like, no one expects us to win. They’ve just written us off. I used that as motivation.”

“I won’t say it made the season a success for us as a team, but we definitely needed it. We couldn’t go into the summer with nothing, just finishing where we finished in the table. A trophy brings hope. But it definitely didn’t make the season a success.”

In the end, Mainoo may have been relieved to see Erik ten Hag leave Old Trafford, with the Dutchman’s delusion insisting he had been a major success in his time at the club after winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in successive seasons.

It was obvious, wasn’t it?

When Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to Manchester United in the summer to become Erik ten Hag’s assistant, it immediately felt inevitable that he would be named a variation of interim, caretaker or acting manager at Old Trafford this season. 

This switch came sooner than expected as Man Utd‘s dire start to the 2024/25 campaign forced INEOS to make a decision they should have sanctioned in the summer as Ten Hag’s prolonged stay of execution ended.

Wary of another Ole Gunnar Solskjaer situation, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. moved quickly and decisively to appoint Ruben Amorim, who has a major job on his hands and is already reportedly looking to offload two ‘resounding failures’.

With Amorim’s start date delayed until the international break, temporary boss Van Nistelrooy was given the reins for four matches and won three. He was fortunate in that two of the games were against Leicester City, but he exuded calmness and his natural leadership skills came in handy as he managed to steady the ship.

Van Nistelrooy is adored at Man Utd and there is also affection for him in the squad. But Amorim was never likely to keep a man with clear managerial aspirations from the previous failed regime on board and the Dutchman’s departure was confirmed shortly after Ten Hag’s replacement got off the plane from Portugal on Monday.

The ex-Man Utd assistant came close to joining Burnley before his former club swiped him away in the summer, but he could land a Premier League job after passing his fleeting audition at Old Trafford and there are five potential next moves for the 48-year-old…

Wolves
Being prematurely linked with the Man Utd job has cursed Gary O’Neil, who rapidly plunged from being the next big thing to a mega-fraud as Wolves have picked up just 11 points from a possible 63.

Wolves fared better after the October international break as their unfortunate 2-1 loss against Manchester City preceded draws with Brighton and Crystal Palace. Then at the weekend, Wolves *finally* won their first Premier League game of the season, beating Southampton 2-0.

The infamous Michael Owen meme comes to mind when a Premier League side beats Southampton and O’Neil – who is among the favourites to be the next manager sacked – will do well to still be in a job by the end of the festive fixtures as 19th-placed Wolves are deep in trouble.

Wolves’ squad isn’t at the ‘too good to go down’ level, but their current ceiling is higher than 19th and Van Nistelrooy will surely be one of the frontrunners if/when O’Neil is axed.

READ: Amorim Man Utd honeymoon over with ‘concerns raised’ as Tuchel wastes ‘precious time’

Crystal Palace
A welcome visit of Dr Tottenham gave Palace a much-needed boost, but Oliver Glasner’s side immediately crashed down to earth as they were dominated in a 2-0 home loss to Fulham on Saturday.

Glasner headed into this campaign as one of the safest managers in the Premier League as his side had the dizzy heights of a top-half finish as a seemingly realistic target. But it seems that the end of last season came at the worst possible time for Palace, who have not been helped by a difficult summer transfer window.

Like O’Neil, Glasner has gone from being linked with a European giant – Bayern Munich – to being at risk of being sacked by relative minnows as Palace have reverted to type after their superb run-in efficiency exceeded all logic.

If Palace do not suddenly rise from the relegation picture to mid-table, Steve Parish could feel forced to push the panic button and seek another new manager. As is also the case with Wolves, appointing Van Nistelrooy would be a risk given the fear of relegation, but this bold call would be in keeping with the past decisions made by the ambitious board with Glasner and Patrick Vieira.

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Everton
A Man Utd-esque dreadful start to the season for Everton led to calls for a change as a ‘sensational return’ was on the cards, but Sean Dyche did Sean Dyche things against Palace and Ipswich Town as the pressure on him eased following these two huge victories.

But more misery is always just around the corner for Everton, who head into this international break on a three-game winless run.

You still have to fancy their final season at Goodison Park being full of extreme lows and the odd high, which ultimately results in the fortunate escape of a 17th-placed finish.

Ahead of the stadium move and further boost of an expected takeover, Everton need survival at the very minimum. As he often does, Dyche will likely save the Toffees before his pragmatic approach is ditched for a forward-thinking manager at the start of a new bright era for this long-suffering football club. Ruud would fit the bill…

West Ham United
The goalless draw between West Ham and Everton was a chore for all involved, but the outcome certainly suited Dyche more than Julen Lopetegui, who is surely edging ever closer to the sack.

His appointment in the summer following David Moyes’ exit was underwhelming. One negative manager replaced another and it was hard to foresee a scenario where Lopetegui would give frustrated West Ham supporters the excitement they were craving at the end of the Scotsman’s reign.

Lopetegui was backed in the summer as West Ham – on paper at least – made some positive signings. But this huge investment is not paying off as Lopetegui struggles to get a tune out of his talented but misfiring squad.

West Ham are sitting just five points above the bottom three in the Premier League table and assuming Lopetegui’s eventual replacement is not another like-minded manager, Van Nistelrooy or another successor could stumble on a great job given the calibre of squad at his disposal.

READ: Premier League winners and losers: Liverpool strengthen grip as Dr Tottenham saves another patient

Tottenham Hotspur
Dr Tottenham has been particularly generous with his time at the start of this campaign as they handed Palace and Ipswich Town their first wins of the season.

It’s as hilarious as it is nonsensical that this spell has also included wins over Manchester City and Aston Villa as Tottenham have been held back by their infuriating inconsistency.

A once-lovable Aussie manager has become increasingly fed up as he’s been weighed down by Tottenham’s ineptitude. This fuelled speculation surrounding Ange Postecoglou’s future, but the fan resentment should be reserved for Daniel Levy as his head coach is just the latest in a long list of victims to be dragged down by Spurs. 

While Levy needs to be shown the door first, Postecoglou will be ousted long before the chairman, who must be running out of ideas as he searches for an end to Tottenham’s prolonged trophy drought.

How about a Manchester United legend from the long-heralded Sir Alex Ferguson era that’s reminisced about way too often on The Overlap? ‘Lads, it’s Tottenham’, we know. But this is one of few remaining options for a failing and increasingly desperate Levy.

Howard Webb does not think VAR Michael Oliver should have recommended a review of an incident that contributed towards Man Utd sacking Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag lost his job after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham and has been replaced by Ruben Amorim.

The loss at the London Stadium came via a 92nd-minute Jarrod Bowen penalty awarded in controversial circumstances.

Matthijs de Ligt initially got away with a challenge on Danny Ings but VAR official Oliver sent David Coote (you might’ve heard of him) to the pitchside monitor and the on-pitch referee overturned his initial decision.

It was a heavily debated decision at the time and ultimately cost a man his job.

The full transcript of the incident has now been released as part of the Match Officials Mic’d Up programme hosted by Michael Owen.

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Oliver: “I think this is a penalty. De Ligt into the foot. Lower leg, yeah. Cootey, I’m going to recommend an on-field review for a possible penalty. This is the best angle we’ve got. We’ll run it through, this is the contact from De Ligt. So, there’s no contact on the ball from De Ligt.”

Coote: “So we’ve got knee-to-knee contact.”

Oliver: “Yeah, lower leg contact from De Ligt onto Danny Ings, with no contact on the ball from De Ligt.”

Coote: “So we’ve got here, we’ve got knee-to-knee contact, but does Ings have control of the ball at any point?”

Oliver: “He does not, he’s moving into the way of the ball and De Ligt comes into contact with Ings. This is the best angle for the contact.”

Coote: “So we’ve got knee-to-knee contact. We’ve got more contact by De Ligt than we have for Ings. We’re giving a penalty, no further action.”

PGMOL chief Webb has now said on Match Officials Mic’d Up that it was the wrong decision.

“I thought it was a misread, by the VAR, a VAR that’s normally really talented and reliable, but gets uber-focused in this situation on De Ligt’s leg,” he said.

“His leg coming through on to Danny Ings, not making any contact with the ball.

“The ball’s already past De Ligt as he as he makes contact with Danny Ings. And the VAR sees that as a clear foul. I think he was too focused on that aspect.

“I don’t think he should have got involved. I think this is a situation where we’d leave the on-field decision as it is, probably whichever way it’s called.

“On balance, I don’t think it’s a penalty kick. I would prefer no foul being given, no penalty.

“I prefer play-on, but the VAR got super-focused on one aspect, that swinging leg by De Ligt and felt therefore it was a penalty.”

Would a draw have kept Ten Hag at Man Utd? I guess we’ll never know…

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