Manchester United confidence grows over dream signing as transfer funds confirmed | OneFootball

Interim head coach Michael Carrick will be given money to spend in January

Manchester United chiefs have told Michael Carrick that he has money to spend in January, as the interim head coach looks to bolster his squad.

Carrick is said to be keen to add midfield reinforcements to his squad, and reports suggest Ruben Neves has been offered to the club.

But Neves is not among United's key targets.

That situation appears to be changing, though. The Sun report that United are increasingly confident of securing a summer deal for Baleba, who recently returned from the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

It remains to be seen what price tag Brighton slap on Baleba, but the expectation is that their demands will have significantly eased come the summer.

Nottingham Forest's Elliott Anderson and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton are also hugely admired at Old Trafford, and across the Premier League.

The summer will also bring the need for a new centre-back, with Harry Maguire expected to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of June.

The Daily Mail report that Anderson's team-mate at Forest, Murillo, is in United's sights.

The Brazilian centre-back has impressed at Forest and was previously said to be on the respective transfer radars of Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona, among others.

Murillo signed a new long-term contract 12 months ago, but is said to be open to leaving the City Ground at the end of the season.