Man Utd to ‘ambush’ striker transfer as insider drops Cole Palmer to Old Trafford bombshell | OneFootball

Manchester United are poised to ambush a striker transfer and an insider has delivered the goods on those Cole Palmer rumours, while Manchester City could snatch Elliot Anderson and a major rival want Harry Maguire.

Striker ‘ambush’

Manchester United are the latest side to show interest in Rennes striker Mohamed Kader Meite, per reports, and could stunningly ‘ambush’ Crystal Palace and Saudi club Al-Hilal’s attempts to sign him.

Al-Hilal have already bid €40m for the in-demand 18-year-old, but reports in France now state United are waiting in an ‘ambush’ position for the 6ft 4in frontman.

A move in the remaining days of the winter window is possible, though would hinge on Man Utd offloading Joshua Zirkzee, who remains a target for Roma and Juventus.

The alternative if Zirkzee stays is signing Meite and loaning him back to Rennes for the remainder of the season before linking up with his new United teammates in the summer.

Cole Palmer truths

Transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, has got to the bottom of the Palmer to Man Utd rumours and unfortunately for the Red Devils, there’s very little scope for the blockbuster signing any time soon.

Bailey explained: “We understand from figures close to the player that while Palmer would ideally like to be based closer to the North West in the long term, given that he is a long-time United fan and has harboured ambitions of playing for them, but he is not pushing to leave Stamford Bridge and remains fully committed to the project under BlueCo.

“Indeed, those close to the Wythenshawe‑born star describe him as “settled, valued and focused” as he continues to shine in blue.

“Inside Chelsea, the feeling is mutual. The club view Palmer as a core pillar of their rebuild and one of the standout success stories of their recruitment strategy. Senior figures are adamant that he is central to their plans and not a player they would entertain losing lightly.”

Bailey’s full assessment on Palmer’s situation – including which uber-talented Englishman Chelsea would push to sign in the unlikely event Palmer leaves – can be read here.

Elliot Anderson wants Man City

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is widely known to be one of Man Utd’s three top targets when it comes time to revamp their midfield in the summer. The others are Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton.

However, the latest from the i paper states that if choosing between Man Utd and Man City, Anderson would opt for the latter.

That is especially troubling news for Man Utd given Anderson is keenly admired at The Etihad and City have already taken initial steps towards signing him in the summer.

Harry Maguire to Chelsea?

Finally, one of Chelsea’s top transfer priorities under new manager Liam Rosenior is to bring in a new centre-back, and reports suggest they could make a shock move for Harry Maguire.

That is according to CaughtOffside who quoted a source as saying: “Maguire’s availability has a lot of clubs taking a look

“Chelsea are surprisingly open to this deal – they know they’re missing an experienced Thiago Silva-like figure at the back. It’s not necessarily the most likely outcome, but don’t rule it out.”

Man Utd have shown a willingness to move on from veteran stars of late after confirming Casemiro will leave at season’s end. Maguire is in a similar situation to Casemiro in that his deal expires in the summer.

Nevertheless, letting Maguire go – especially to a direct rival like Chelsea – would be a major surprise.