Chances of United landing midfield duo decoded by David Ornstein | OneFootball

Against all the odds, Manchester United emerged 1-0 winners over Newcastle at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

Ruben Amorim had a heavily depleted squad to choose from, and as a result, he was forced to go with Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte in the middle of the park.

Surprisingly, it was the Uruguayan who impressed, while the Brazilian had to be subbed off early in the second half.

The Brazilian does not have the legs to operate week in, week out in the English top-flight anymore, while the ex-PSG ace continues to be linked with an exit.

Ruben Neves, James Garner linked with shock United moves

The head coach had identified the midfield as an area in need of reinforcements in the summer, but a move for Carlos Baleba did not materialise.

Since then, the Cameroonian’s form has fallen off a cliff, which has seen Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson overtake him on the list of transfer targets.

However, given their importance to their respective clubs, a January move seems to be off the table. Which has seen the 20-time English league champions pivot to short-term targets like Ruben Neves and ex-Carrington graduate James Garner.

The Portugal international is currently playing in Saudi Arabia, but his relatively low cost and his Premier League experience made him a viable target.

The same for the Everton ace, plus his links with the club made him a valuable asset, especially in mid-season.

Both are potential Bosman transfers in the summer, but as revealed by The Athletic‘s David Ornstein to NBC Sports, there is nothing concrete for the pair as of now.

David Ornstein clears the air

He also revealed that the Red Devils are more likely to sanction Joshua Zirkzee’s move away instead of Kobbie Mainoo.

“January transfer activity at Manchester United, inbound, is not expected. Outbound, possibly, in terms of the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, or maybe more plausibly Joshua Zirkzee, although nothing is advanced on that.

“Manchester United need all of the players they have at their disposal. We have seen the likes of Ruben Neves and James Garner linked to them, but I am not aware of anything concrete on that front.”

Amorim has made it pretty clear that he wants players he can utilise in the long-term instead of short-term deals.

It will be interesting to see if INEOS can pull off even one deal during the winter window.

Feature image Megan Briggs via Getty Images

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