Noisy neighbours to smash transfer record to pip United in the race for “extraordinary” dribbler, INEOS will be shell-shocked – report

The rumour mill has gone into overdrive, linking every midfielder under the sun with a move to Manchester United in the summer. It is well known at this stage that the Red Devils are planning to sign more than one midfielder in the summer to compensate for the departures of both Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte. The Old Trafford giants also need a left winger, after former head coach Ruben Amorim got rid of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho last summer. Matheus Cunha has been forced to occupy the left wing role in the absence of a specialist, with Patrick Dorgu also out injured. United need a left winger United are expected to sign someone to fill that void, with Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig among the club’s top targets. The 19-year-old has 11 goals and eight assists this season, and his impressive form has seen the Ivorian attract plenty of interest from within the English top flight. Leipzig, aware of the interest, will try to drive up the Ivory Coast international’s price, considering the versatile winger has a contract at the Red Bull Arena until 2030. That might hamper United’s chances of landing him, given their need to spend big to solve their midfield conundrum. City join the race for top United target Yan Diomande SportsBoom have now revealed that Manchester City are ready to take advantage of the situation and break their transfer record to blow their rivals out of the water. “Manchester City are ready to SMASH their transfer record in a sensational £100 million raid for RB Leipzig wonderkid Yan Diomande, as Pep Guardiola launches a dramatic Etihad rebuild. “Sources at Manchester City say Guardiola is “obsessed” with the teenager, viewing him as a centrepiece in the club’s next generation. “The 19-year-old Ivory Coast international has made 27 Bundesliga appearances and scored 11 goals in 30 games across all competitions – and privately it is understood he would be open to a Premier League challenge. City ready to smash their transfer record, bad news for United “Leipzig, however, hold a strong hand. Diomande only signed a five-year deal last summer, tying him to the club until 2030, and there is no release clause in that agreement. Any deal will be on their terms. “Still, that stance has not discouraged City. They face competition from domestic rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United for his services.” Hopefully, INEOS will not be discouraged by this update and will go hell for leather to beat their noisy neighbours to the signing of the “exceptional” winger. Apart from Yan Diomande, United also have Iliman Ndiaye of Everton, and Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon on their list of targets. Feature image Boris Streubel 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