PL club scrambling to keep contract rebel as Man United consider surprise transfer | OneFootball

Everton are reportedly stepping up contract talks with key midfield player James Garner amid transfer interest from his former club Manchester United.

Garner is nearing the end of his current deal with Everton, meaning he’s currently on course to become a free agent next summer.

According to talkSPORT, Man United are one of the clubs keeping tabs on the 24-year-old’s situation, along with Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

Everton manager David Moyes is said to have made it clear just how much he wants to keep Garner, though, so it will be interesting to see if the Merseyside outfit can end up persuading him to stay.

Manchester United considering surprise move to bring James Garner back

James Garner warming up for Everton (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

We know Man Utd could probably do with a midfield signing or two in the near future, but Garner probably isn’t a name most fans would have had high up on their wish lists.

The former England Under-21 international is doing well for Everton, but he struggled to establish himself in the Red Devils’ first-team during his first spell at Old Trafford.

Even if Garner has improved a lot since then, he’s arguably still not quite at the kind of level United will be looking for right now.

A recent report from TEAMtalk even claimed that all three players could be on the agenda at Old Trafford.

If Ruben Amorim manages to land one or more of those three, it’s hard to imagine Garner also being a priority, even if he’d be a tempting option due to being available on a free transfer.