Breaking down Man Utd interest in clutch LaLiga star with January links a springboard to stunning double deal | OneFootball

Manchester United are exploring a possible deal for a brilliant LaLiga midfielder reportedly free to leave for a reduced fee in January – and while he may not be Ruben Amorim’s top target, the fact they want to sign two new stars there makes a deal entirely possible.

The Red Devils invested heavily in rebuilding their attacking options over the summer months, with over £200m splashed out on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. The form of Mbeumo, in particular, has really helped Manchester United kick on this season and a four-match unbeaten run, which has seen the club climb to seventh in the table and above reigning champions, Liverpool, gives hope for the rest of the campaign.

However, Amorim’s side still lacks the necessary legs in midfield, and their lack of quality in the area was brutally exposed at Tottenham on Saturday. And while Manuel Ugarte put in a shift and worked hard for the cause, he was ultimately culpable for both the hosts’ goals, allowing his runner to ghost past him for their first and then playing Richarlison on for their second.

And with doubts also surrounding the futures of Casemiro – out of contract next summer – and Bruno Fernandes – regularly linked with a big-money move away – it is easy to see why Amorim is putting his entire focus on strengthening that area next.

To that end, TEAMtalk has been told that United want to sign two midfielders in 2026; ideally, one in the winter window and a second one during the summer.

Writing last week, our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, revealed the club’s top target is Elliot Anderson – a story since backed up overnight by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

However, with Forest understandably not wanting to sell mid-season, despite the fact that our sources understand that Anderson would be willing to make the move, a swoop for an alternative is beginning to gather momentum.

As a result, reports in Spain claim a move for Valencia’s Javi Guerra is starting to gather pace again, with United alerted to a possible cut-price fee on his head and with those at United confident the Spain Under-21 international would adjust quickly to the rigours of the Premier League…

What Javi Guerra would bring to the Man Utd midfield

Known as a box-to-box midfielder, Guerra is one of Spanish football’s most exciting young talents, having impressed with his ball-carrying abilities and pass distribution.

And while his game is not a million miles different from Anderson’s, the fact that he would command a significantly lesser fee is reported by Fichajes to make him an increasingly attractive option to United’s decision-makers.

The 22-year-old was first linked with United over the summer, but, having signed a new deal at the Mestalla, coupled with United’s quest to strengthen in attack, the links soon cooled.

However, we understand he is a player of interest and one that club scouts have been monitoring. Now, amid claims the player is disillusioned at life with Carlos Corberan’s side, who are only out of the relegation places on goal difference, it’s reported Valencia’s willingness to facilitate a move could see a transfer spring back into life.

To that end, an offer in the region of €50m (£44m, $58m) could convince them to sell, despite the fact that the new deal he signed over the summer contained a release set at €100m (£88m, $116m).

At 6ft 2in tall, the report claims United see Guerra’s physicality and athleticism as being perfect fits for the Premier League and would hope that, were they to sign him, he would quickly hit the ground running at Old Trafford.

His stats certainly back that up. Per FBref, which measures players over a 12-month period versus their peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Guerra ranks highly across a range of metrics.

Indeed, he scores in the top 80 percentile for shots per 90 (1.53), the top 78 percentile for assists (0.16 per 90), the top 83 percentile for expected assists per 90 (0.15) and the top 69 percentile for shot-creating actions (2.67 per 90).

He also rates highly across passing metrics, successful take-ons and ball-carrying actions; all traits that would suggest him as a perfect addition for Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

And while he’s not the top target, Forest’s refusal to sell Anderson for a fee less than £100–120 million (up to €136.3m, $157.6m), per Plettenberg, would suggest it is a far more doable one for United come the winter window.

Meanwhile, on the subject of United midfield targets, we have taken a detailed look into Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba to see which one came out on top as the two stars went head to head at the weekend.

Any deal for Guerra could yet see Amorim relent and let Kobbie Mainoo leave, with sources revealing the club’s latest stance on letting the player leave in the winter window and amid growing interest from one of Italy’s biggest sides.

In other news, United are also reported to have joined Tottenham Hotspur in the race for a midfielder, who has taken by storm in the Premier League in recent times and now looks poised to make his mark on the international stage.