Man Utd ‘increasingly confident’ of landing Baleba as Fernandes plan is revealed; Forest star ‘considered’ | OneFootball

Man Utd are ‘growing increasingly confident’ that they will sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton over the summer as Bruno Fernandes’ transfer plan is revealed.

The Red Devils spent over £200m improving their squad for Ruben Amorim over the summer before the Portuguese coach was sacked early last week.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are now unlikely to back interim head coach Michael Carrick in the January transfer window as they save all of their funds for the summer market.

Man Utd hope at that point they will know the identity of their new permanent manager and commit funds to the right person in the dugout.

Some of their long-term targets will remain the same with The Sun claiming that Man Utd are now ‘growing increasingly confident of securing’ a deal for Brighton midfielder Baleba.

Man Utd ‘are optimistic about prising Baleba away from the Amex in the summer’ as ‘his stock has dropped since United’s interest surfaced last year’.

The Red Devils could sign a couple of midfielders in the summer transfer window with Bruno Fernandes potentially leaving at the end of the season.

Responding to rumours that Fernandes could leave in January after Amorim’s exit, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said: “On Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Amorim was crucial last summer in convincing him to stay when Saudi proposals arrived, including from Al-Hilal. Amorim pushed strongly for Bruno to remain part of the project.

“With Amorim leaving, it does not mean Bruno will leave. Not in January. His focus remains on Manchester United. In the summer, ahead of the World Cup, Saudi clubs will return, as they always do, but for now there is no change in Bruno’s position.”

And The Sun claim that Fernandes is ‘planning to see out the season with Manchester United despite the recent upheaval at Old Trafford’ with the 31-year-old ‘sticking to his original plan to consider his options at the end of the campaign’.

Man Utd have been rumoured to want Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson but now the Daily Mail claim that the Red Devils could also attempt to sign his team-mate at the City Ground, Murillo.

The Brazilian is ‘among the players being considered by Manchester United as they seek a new central defender for next season’ and Murillo is ‘open to leaving Forest next summer’.

The 23-year-old is ‘prominent on United’s radar as they prepare for the departure of Harry Maguire’ and continues to be ‘under consideration’ at Old Trafford.