Manchester United have reportedly made an offer for PSG full-back Nuno Mendes, while the agent of a £50m Barcelona star ‘arrived in Manchester on Boxing Day’ for talks over a possible free transfer in January.
Ruben Amorim has now lost more games than he’s won as Manchester United boss after their 2-0 defeat to Wolves on Boxing Day and he’s understandably keen to add to his squad in the January transfer window in an attempt to revert their slide into mediocrity.
That won’t be easy given the supposed proximity to the club flouting Premier League profit and sustainability rules, with the lack of interest as things stand in wantaway star Marcus Rashford not helping in their quest to raise funds for new additions.
In a bid to solve one particularly problematic position at the club, French outlet RMC claim the Red Devils have ‘made an offer’ for left-back Nuno Mendes.
Luke Shaw has only played 98 minutes so far this season after going into the campaign with a knee injury, with his consistent problems reportedly leading Amorim to ‘green light’ his transfer in January, with Antonio Conte interested in signing him for Napoli.
Alternative left-back option Tyrell Malacia has returned to fitness after a significant spell on the sidelines but has failed to convince.
The report claims that while ‘PSG absolutely want to keep Mendes’ negotiations over a contract extension have reached a ‘standstill’ and the Portugal international now ‘wants to leave the club’.
It’s claimed Mendes ‘believes that the salary offered does not correspond to his status as a starter’ and now ‘the contact is broken’.
He’s ‘in the sights of several major European clubs’ but Man Utd are the only side said to have ‘made an offer’, with the Red Devils’ ‘pressing’ to sign him ‘not leaving the 22-year-old indifferent’. In other words, he’s interested in a move to Old Trafford.
It’s thought another problem beyond the supposedly meagre salary is Mendes being used in a more defensive role under Luis Enrique, which means he ‘takes less pleasure’ in playing than he does while playing as a wing-back, as he would under Amorim at United.
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Another huge boost arrived for United on the day Bruno Fernandes embarrassed himself against Wolves, with the agent of Dani Olmo ‘arriving in Manchester on Boxing Day’ according to the Daily Mail.
Barcelona are battling to register the Spain international – who played such a huge role in his country’s Euro 2024 win – ahead of La Lisa’s January 1 deadline.
Olmo joined Barca from RB Leipzig in the summer but could only be registered on a temporary basis until the end of the calendar year owing to the Spanish league’s financial constraints which continue to hamper the Catalans.
It means the playmaker can leave as a free agent in January if the Spain football federation continue to block his registration, as they push Barcelona to make more cuts in order to comply with their financial guidelines.
Barcelona have started legal proceedings against La Liga and were hoping to reach a resolution before the end of the year, but with the clock ticking, Premier League sides have been alerted to his possible availability, with United supposedly chief among them.
Olmo wants to stay at Barcelona but his agent Andy Bar has been forced to explore alternative moves for the 26-year-old, with the Premier League an attractive landing spot should Barcelona fail to find a fix for their problem.
