Man Utd chances of stunningly re-signing former player revealed by sources amid crucial contract talks | OneFootball

Manchester United have been linked with a January move for Everton star James Garner, and our sources have assessed the likelihood of the 24-year-old making an eye-catching return to Old Trafford.

Garner left United for Everton back in 2022 for a modest fee of £15m (including add-ons), and he has established himself as one of the Toffees’ most important players.

The high-energy midfielder, who can also play effectively as a right-back or left-back when required, has played almost every minute of Everton’s Premier League campaign, starting all of their 18 games.

His impressive displays have led to praise from David Moyes, who has insisted that his excellent form this term is deserving of an England call-up.

Garner’s contract at the Hill Dickinson Stadium expires at the season’s end, and that has led to speculation over his future.

Multiple outlets have linked United with a shock move for their academy graduate, as Ruben Amorim continues to prioritise midfield reinforcements for next month’s January window.

Everton have an option to extend Garner’s deal by a further year, though, so they are not at risk of losing him on a free transfer next summer.

Our transfer insider Dean Jones has now revealed what he has heard about United’s midfielder hunt, and whether he believes Garner could return to Manchester.

“We are starting to hear about new targets for United now so it looks like there will be an attempt to sign a midfield player outside of the likes of Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba.

“[Roma’s] Manu Kone is a name that has started to crop up and I think they have been made aware of the terms for signing [Bayern Munich’s] Leon Gotetzka.

“Another is James Garner and I think that is a market opportunity in the sense that his contract is winding down, but I struggle to see him as a United player again.

“When I hear about the profile of player they are looking for I just don’t think Garner necessarily fits with the full vision. And if you are going to be bold enough to bring someone back to the club, I think it has to be a fail-proof deal that really works beyond doubt.

“I haven’t hard much serious talk around this one from people I personally speak to, so for now I’m just a little bit cautious of it.”

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Everton still confident of retaining James Garner

Everton have made keeping hold of Garner a top priority. He is viewed internally as a cornerstone of the club’s ambitious project as they look to break back into European competitions in the future.

As we reported on December 16, Everton have officially opened contract extension talks with Garner and his representatives.

It is understood that there has been a gap between Garner’s salary demands and what the Toffees are willing to pay, but the expectation is that those issues will be ironed out.

Everton remain confident of tying Garner down to a new long-term deal and talks are continuing in a positive fashion.

Moyes has also stated that he has no intention of letting Garner go anywhere in next month’s transfer window.

“Look, I wouldn’t be letting [Garner] go and I think the Club will do everything they can to make sure that he stays,” he said in a recent interview.

United, therefore, will have to almost certainly be looking at other midfield targets for the January window.

Manu Kone and Leon Goretska may well be names to keep a close eye on.