Man Utd tipped to hijack Tottenham transfer of star who ‘fits into their DNA’ | OneFootball

Former Manchester United winger Nani has named a current Tottenham Hotspur loan star who fits into his old club’s ‘DNA’, amid talk of a potential hijack of the north London club’s permanent move for the player.

As TEAMtalk have previously revealed, United are after at least one new central midfielder in the January window and have multiple targets currently lined up.

One player who was on Man Utd‘s radar in the summer of 2024 was Portugal international Joao Palhinha, only for the then Fulham star to end up joining Bayern Munich for £47.4million instead.

But after struggling to secure a regular spot under Vincent Kompany, Bayern allowed Palhinha to return to the Premier League when Tottenham swooped to sign him on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season for £27m.

Palhinha has since made a big impact in north London but Nani, who played alongside the midfielder at Sporting, believes the 30-year-old is a player United should be targeting instead.

“Joao Palhinha is a great player. I played with him at Sporting, where he was growing and learning a lot. After a few years, he became one of the best players in his position,” Nani told Covers.com.

“He’s very strong and talented at winning and recovering the ball, and tackling. He’s also improved his forward play, scoring goals, connecting with the team, and moving forward with the ball. He’s become a complete player in his position.

“I think he’s a great player and can do really well for Tottenham. He had an opportunity with Bayern and we’re not sure what will happen next season, but he’s a player who can play for any team in the world. He just needs to be consistent and fit, as injuries sometimes cause problems. I trust he will have a fantastic career.

“He is a player with energy, with power to recover balls and to fight, that is something that fits into Man United’s DNA.

“Having players who are able first to fight on the field, like to recover the ball and challenge opponents to help the team win games.

“You can’t give your opponents any time in the Premier League and he has the energy and physical abilities to be such an asset for anyone.”

Latest Man Utd news: Hjulmand chase update; Zirkzee transfer storm

First up, Morten Hjulmand is expected to emerge as Manchester United’s top midfield target from outside the Premier League, while we can also reveal Ruben Amorim’s stance on offloading exit-linked stars.

Elsewhere, United’s Joshua Zirkzee finds himself at the centre of a January transfer storm, with AC Milan’s renewed interest just one thread in a complex web of suitors, with West Ham also in the mix along with four other Premier League sides, TEAMtalk understands.

And finally, Real Madrid are the reported subject of a surprise loan swap in the January transfer window involving a Man Utd misfit, but are set to deliver a sting in the tail to the Premier League club instead.