£70m Man Utd deal for Adam Wharton ON after Palace admission as Bayern plot Old Trafford raid | OneFootball

Manchester United have seemingly been invited to bid for one of their top midfield targets, Adam Wharton, after Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish acknowledged that the Eagles are bracing themselves for the potential departure of key players this summer.

Ruben Amorim is actively looking to revamp his engine room in 2026, with the likes of Wharton, Carlos Baleba, Elliot Anderson, Joao Gomes and Conor Gallagher all on United’s radar.

Indeed, TEAMtalk has continually reported on Man Utd‘s interest in England star Wharton, and now that door looks to have been swung wide open following the comments from Parish over the £70million-rated (€80m / $93m) star.

Palace sold Eberechi Eze to Arsenal over in the summer, just 11 months after Bayern Munich shelled out £50m for Michael Olise and now, speaking to The Athletic, Parish has admitted the club may lose further crucial players when the 2025/26 campaign concludes. “We’ve got one eye on players who we might have to replace in the summer,” he said.

“We’re not going to throw it all on red and have a massive problem. Unless you want to be in a situation where you’re constantly putting in money every year, there’s a cash limit to what you can spend.

“You can’t spend money you don’t have. You have to have some guardrails as a club, or you’ll build up big problems down the track. Everyone saw where prices went in the summer; it’s a difficult landscape.”

Parish’s remarks follow revelations from Wharton’s agent, James Featherstone, who disclosed that the midfielder harbours aspirations of reaching the very top. “When he was at Blackburn we sat down and spoke about shooting for the stars and playing for England,” he told talkSPORT.

“So how do you get there? Personally I think to play for England you have to play Champions League, to play in the Champions League you have got to play for one of the top teams in one of the top leagues.

“That jump to a Champions League team, I think you can get lost. The plan below that was to play for a Premier League team. We have got a plan. He is 21. I have to check myself to remember that every now and then. It doesn’t have to be achieved yesterday, today or this moment.

“He has got his in-game, in-season targets and goals. He has got to do his bit and the rest will look after itself in a very structured, calm way to ultimately add value and maximise his ability.”

Bayern make their move for Mainoo

Our sources can reveal that Kobbie Mainoo now has interest from German giants Bayern Munich, as his nightmare at Man Utd shows no signs of abating.

The Bundesliga side have held direct discussions with Mainoo’s representatives, signalling their strong intent to secure a permanent deal in the upcoming  January window.

For their part, Bayern feel “confident” that the 20-year-old talent would be open to a move abroad, where he could end up being reunited with England skipper Harry Kane at Allianz Arena.

Mainoo’s frustration at Old Trafford has reached boiling point, with the midfielder once again starting Monday night’s clash against Wolves on the bench.

Bayern’s pursuit follows in the wake of continued Napoli interest in the midfielder. The Italian outfit are pushing for a loan with an option to buy, covering wages and have also promised Mainoo significantly more game time.

Galatasaray eyeing Ugarte swoop

Turkish champions Galatasaray will reportedly explore a move for Manchester United star Manuel Ugarte in January, with an exit on the cards.

With Ruben Amorim expected to make major changes to his midfield in 2026, there is every likelihood that players will be moved on – namely the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and potentially Ugarte.

Amorim is keen for Casemiro to commit to another deal, although that would have to come with a significant pay cut on his current £350,000-a-week wages.

As for Ugarte, the £50.7m signing from PSG, has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford, leading to the latest reports that a January exit could be on the cards.

Indeed, Turkish reporter, Erol Evcen, states that Ugarte could be heading to reigning Super Lig champions Galatasaray in January.

Taking to X, he posted: “Galatasaray is closely monitoring the situation of Manuel Ugarte, who is reportedly set to part ways with Manchester United at the halfway point.

“Galatasaray will knock on Manchester United’s door for Manuel Ugarte during the mid-season transfer window.”

Zirkzee still facing Man Utd exit

Ahead of the January window opening, TEAMtalk sources can reveal that Joshua Zirkzee remains a hot commodity, with the club open to his sale despite Ruben Amorim integrating the Dutchman more prominently into his plans of late.

Zirkzee did find himself back on the bench again at Wolves on Monday night after three successive starts, and sources have told us that United’s stance hasn’t fully hardened when it comes to a potential sale.

Indeed, United remain in the hunt to sign a developmental striker to complement summer addition Benjamin Sesko. Zirkzee’s potential exit, valued at around £35m, could fund such a move while recouping investment.

Serie A giants AC Milan are keen on a loan move for the player, while Roma have already seen an offer rebuffed. In terms of Premier League interest, West Ham, Aston Villa, Everton and Sunderland are all potentially in the mix for his services.