Man Utd’s perfect January includes Liverpool hijack, Vinicius Jr transfer and Ugarte sale | OneFootball

Manchester United can smell the Champions League places, but they’re not going to finish in the top five of the Premier League if they don’t a) make some signings in January and b) win more than one game in a row.

Will their finances allow a big spending spree in the winter transfer window? Probably not. Are we going to create a scenario where Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos spend around £250million? Yes. Absolutely.

These five transfers would make for a perfect January for Manchester United and Ruben Amorim, with a Liverpool hijack, Vinicius Junior and Mason Greenwood all thrown into the equation.

Sign Elliot Anderson

It’s obvious that Manchester United need and want to sign a new central midfielder. The question is: who?

If this was Career Mode or Football Manager, it would be one or two of Federico Valverde, Sandro Tonali, Declan Rice, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong or Moises Caicedo. But this is the real world. And in the real world, it’s going to be Elliot Anderson or Adam Wharton. Which is still absolutely fine, by the way.

Ruben Amorim is never shifting from his beloved 3-4-2-1 formation, so looking at previously successful English clubs operating in the same way, the Red Devils need a player like Nemanja Matic, N’Golo Kante or Jorginho. So it really isn’t all that simple. The best option, that also happens to be realistic, is Anderson.

The Nottingham Forest star’s 2025/26 statistics put him up there as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. He has made 24 key passes (6th), 802 passes (5th), 111 progressive passes (1st), 111 ball recoveries (1st), 35 tackles (9th), 14 interceptions (23rd), won 29 fouls (2nd), and only received two yellow cards. And in Forest’s defeat to Brighton, Anderson became the first player in the last 10 Premier League seasons to record 100+ touches, 10+ ball recoveries, 10+ duels won, 5+ key passes and 5+ successful dribbles.

He might not be Kante, but he could be Matic, and we’re confident he can become better than Jorginho, if he isn’t already.

It would be a statement signing for Manchester United and there isn’t a better option out there among the players who would actually want to join. The fact he can do absolutely everything and has the engine to play midfield on his own makes him perfect for Amorim’s system. The only issue is the price. In January, you’re looking at £100m. In the summer, maybe closer to £80m. Better, but still very pricey. For England’s No.6, though? Probably worth it…

Steal Marc Guehi from Liverpool

Not only would Guehi massively improve United and walk straight in as a leader and their best defender, but signing him means Liverpool don’t, which is probably top of the list of positives, next to a blank column of negatives.

There isn’t really much more to say about it. He would be an absolutely outstanding signing, but the odds are heavily stacked against United.

Liverpool put all the groundwork into signing Guehi last summer and were hours away from getting it done, putting them comfortably ahead of the Red Devils in the race. He can negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January 1, which gives Real Madrid a big advantage. They love a free transfer, need a centre-back and have dropped their interest in Reds defender Ibrahima Konate.

But it’s still in United’s hands if they want it to be. Offer Palace £30m and they might struggle to reject it, considering he’s in the final six months of his deal. Just make a sufficient offer well before the deadline, lads.

Liverpool are also in a much worse place than they were when Guehi agreed to join. They were reigning champions – and still are, technically – and looked set to dominate England and Europe after spending over £420m. Now they are mid-table, out of the title picture, and on an abysmal run of form. It’s not the place to be for someone like Guehi, though he could help fix the problem.

And does Guehi even want to leave England? You’d have to ask him. Some players are reluctant to go abroad, especially if a top English club is offering a fat contract and guaranteed minutes. Real Madrid is the exception, though. You don’t turn down Real Madrid.

Sign Vinicius Junior

It would be audacious to even try, and the noise surrounding Vinicius‘ situation at Real Madrid is probably a ploy to get a better contract. When he realises his only options are Manchester United or Saudi Arabia, he’ll likely return to Florentino Perez with his tail between his legs.

But let’s say he actually does want to leave and refuses to renew. United would actually stand a chance. They are still, in the eyes of many, the biggest club in the world. They are an institution. Players are addicted to the idea of being ‘the one’ who finally fixes them after years of chaos.

Out of all the big names United could chase, Vinicius would be the most ambitious and exciting. Leaving Real Madrid at 25, after being Ballon d’Or runner-up two years earlier, is not a normal career move. Joining United might be career suicide, but if anyone who is remotely gettable can single-handedly fix them, it’s Vinicius.

Sell Manuel Ugarte

Signing Anderson or Wharton, Guehi, and Vinicius is impossible without a significant sale or two. The best sale for everyone is Ugarte. Casemiro could work if the right offer arrives, but he’s actually been pretty good since Ruben Amorim came in. You could argue he’s been the Portuguese coach’s biggest success story so far. Then there’s Kobbie Mainoo, who is a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ pure profit option.

Truth be told, only Saudi Arabia can bail Manchester United out when it comes to Ugarte. No Champions League contender will want him after back-to-back disappointing spells at two giant clubs. Sporting might want to re-sign him, but for nowhere near the £50m United paid Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023. That leaves the filthy-rich Saudis, who will surely be interested in a big name like Ugarte, who is still only 24.

It’s unrealistic, but not completely delusional. And United will only sanction his sale if they’ve already signed a new midfielder, or have one lined up.

The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules will probably still punish United anyway, but they can at least tell supporters they lived and enjoyed the dream while it lasted.

Mason Greenwood leaves Marseille

Another significant windfall could come via the sale of Mason Greenwood from Marseille.

Reports suggested United wanted to reintegrate Greenwood after his charges of attempted rape and assault were dropped, but after putting the feelers out, fan backlash was fierce. They quickly U-turned and pretended they always wanted to sell him. After a year on loan at Getafe, he joined Marseille for £26.7m, which was a low fee, but United’s hands were tied. In an uncharacteristically savvy move, they included a big sell-on clause, believed to be 50%.

Transfermarkt says the 24-year-old is worth around £35m, but 10 goals and three assists in Ligue 1 this season, coupled with his potential and previous seasons, suggests he will go for much more – perhaps around £60m, giving United £30m.

And when Greenwood does leave Marseille, Manchester United will finally be able to close a dark chapter.