Manchester United fans guess identity of new midfield target after 'secret talks' | OneFootball

Sleuthing supporters think they know mystery target’s identity

The rumour mill has been set spinning after Manchester United were reported to have held talks with a ‘secret’ midfield target.

United are yet to move for any players in the January transfer window, but are known to be keen to add midfield reinforcements and showed concrete interest in Brighton’s Carlos Baleba last summer.

But the club do seem to be active in the market behind the scenes, with journalist Ben Jacobs reporting that they have held covert talks with an unnamed midfield target.

“There is one secret midfielder that Manchester United held talks with in the last 24 hours,” he told The Football Terrace.

Imaginations are running free among the United faithful, then, and fans think they have the player sussed out.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has proven a popular theory. The ex-Chelsea midfielder, 29, now plies his trade at AC Milan and has made 18 appearances this season, but has already been linked with moves to Aston Villa and Newcastle this month.

He has not played in the Premier League since 2023, when he left Stamford Bridge after loan spells at Crystal Palace and Fulham.

Plenty of other names have been suggested, with Weston McKennie proving a popular choice among fans. The Juventus midfielder has 19 Premier League appearances to his name, all won during a six-month loan at Leeds United in 2023.

Marseille’s Angel Gomes, who began his career at Manchester United, is also seen as a possible option, as has Ruben Neves, who moved to Saudi side Al Hilal in 2023 after calling time on a six-year spell with Wolves.

Neves, 28, has been tenuously linked with a return to the Premier League since the transfer window opened.

Other names touted include Borussia Dortmund’s Carney Chukwuemeka, Al Ittihad’s N’Golo Kante, and Napoli’s Billy Gilmore, but supporters face an anxious wait to find out who the mystery midfielder really is.