Man Utd
Neves’s Al Hilal exit forces Manchester United to rethink January midfield strategy
Rúben Neves wants to leave Al Hilal; United weigh a January move as transfer priorities shift. next.
Rúben Neves’s declared intention to leave Al Hilal on a free transfer next summer has altered Manchester United’s mid-season thinking, according to a report. With the Saudi club reportedly exploring a January sale to recoup some cost, Neves has reappeared as a realistic and affordable midfield option for clubs in England.
Neves made 177 appearances for Wolves and spent five seasons in the Premier League, where he was widely regarded as one of the division’s top defensive midfielders. That Premier League pedigree has attracted interest from Manchester United and long-term admirers Newcastle United, while West Ham United are also named among suitors.
The report suggests a winter transfer could cost around £18 million and that fee might be lower given Neves’s intention to return to England by next summer. That level of outlay is notable for United as money is tight around Old Trafford and primary targets such as Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba are all expected to cost close to £100 million.
United have already been exploring alternatives. Atalanta’s Ederson and Conor Gallagher of Atlético Madrid are viewed internally as feasible targets, but Neves’s availability has now “forced his way into the club’s thinking.”
At club level, Amorim is described as desperate for a new midfielder to bolster his squad. He has lost trust in both Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte to start games and is increasingly reliant on 33-year-old Casemiro, whose expensive contract also expires in the summer. The club’s January priority had been an opportunistic attempt to secure Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, but Neves’s potential availability may prompt a tactical reassessment of that plan.
Any January move for Neves would hinge on negotiations with Al Hilal and the player’s clear preference to return to the Premier League next summer. For Manchester United, a low-cost, experienced defensive midfielder represents a timely alternative as the club balances ambition with financial constraints.
Man Utd
Keane Condemns ‘Free Kobbie’ T‑Shirt, Urges Mainoo to Stay and Fight for Place
Keane criticises Mainoo’s brother for ‘Free Kobbie’ shirt and tells the midfielder to stay and fight
Roy Keane criticised Kobbie Mainoo’s older half-brother after the fan wore a T-shirt reading ‘Free Kobbie’ during Manchester United’s 4–4 draw with Bournemouth.
Mainoo has been used sparingly by Ruben Amorim this season and asked for a loan in the summer to aid his development. The academy graduate has started just one match, that appearance coming in the shock defeat to League Two Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup second round. Reports suggest Mainoo’s frustrations prompted a further loan request ahead of the January transfer window, although the Red Devils are prepared to permit a departure only if an “exceptional offer” arrives, according to a new report.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Keane was blunt about the actions of Mainoo’s sibling and about the midfielder’s immediate future. “When he’s got his idiot brother doing all that stuff—we shouldn’t even be giving his brother the time of day,” said the former United captain. “Because sometimes you’re just surrounded by idiots, especially in families.
“You come in after the match, and your brother did that … if my brother [had] done that, you would be looking at him going, ‘what are you doing?’ You would, and do you know what—do you think his brother’s done that without asking him?”
Keane also urged Mainoo to remain at Old Trafford and work for a first-team place rather than seeking an immediate exit. “He’s 20 years of age, what’s wrong with sitting and learning your trade? And even if he’s not getting a chance, we’ve all had to do it,” added the Irishman. “Sometimes a manager is on your case and what you have to do is prove them wrong. Every day is your chance to prove yourself to the manager. He’s got to get that in his mindset.
“The life of a footballer is about trying to prove people wrong. I have no problem players going out on loan, it can work for everybody, but sometimes as a player, your biggest challenge is here at Man Utd and getting into that first team.”
Man Utd
Fernandes Says United Told Him ‘No, We Need You’ After Transfer Claims
Fernandes: Man Utd asked me to stay twice; I remained to help the club win more trophies. This year.
Bruno Fernandes has revised the narrative around his future at Manchester United, saying the club twice asked him to remain despite previous public criticism. The captain, who had accused the club of prioritising money and suggested he might leave, offered a different recollection in an interview on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“When I came to the club, apart from loving being here and loving the club, I think my loyalty was in the toughest periods and I could have left two times,” Fernandes said. “The club said ‘no, we need you’ and I said ‘OK, you gave me something, I will give you something.’”
The Portugal international acknowledged outside interest, including approaches from the Saudi Pro League, and hinted at potential moves to La Liga and Serie A, while leaving open the possibility of a return to Lisbon. The draft mentioned Ruben Amorim as a figure Fernandes had previously credited with wanting him to stay, a point now framed alongside United saying they wanted him to remain in a red shirt.
Fernandes stressed that loyalty and belief in the club’s ambitions influenced his decision to stay. “I’m very aware that I could have gone a different path and probably won more trophies and people talking about me in a different way because I’ve had trophies into my cabinet,” Fernandes told Ferdinand.
He underlined that his choice was linked to United’s stated objectives and his own desire to help the club return to its former standing. “When I speak about going and winning trophies, I stayed here because I think I still can win trophies here. I wouldn’t have stayed here if the club hasn’t told me our aim is still to be the highest we can be, get back to winning trophies, get back to be the club we were before.
If that was not the aim then yes, I wouldn’t have stayed here, but because I know the aim of the club is still to get back to where they want to be and where I want the club to be, that’s why I came to the club in the first place. If I can help to get back there, that’s all I want to do.”
Since arriving in 2020, Fernandes has scored 103 goals in 307 appearances, helping United win the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup the following season. The interview closed with the reminder that reaching the top of the Premier League table will require more than one player before the captain’s contract expires at the end of next season.
Man Utd
United demand an “exceptional offer.” before allowing Kobbie Mainoo to leave in January
United insist only an “exceptional offer.” will trigger the January sale of Kobbie Mainoo, club say.
Manchester United are prepared to resist a midseason exit for Kobbie Mainoo unless an unusually large bid arrives. According to Sky Sports, the club will only consider a sale in the upcoming January transfer window in the event of an “exceptional offer.” Ideally, the club do not want to sell and would not permit the Stockport-born talent to go out on loan midway through the season.
Reports have made Mainoo’s desire to leave on loan public since late summer. The club reportedly rejected a loan request then and remain disinclined to allow it now. Napoli are named among his suitors and have been described as the player’s preferred destination, but interested parties are warned they could be disappointed unless they pay through the nose.
Ruben Amorim has stressed that there is nothing personal in consistently overlooking the player for starts this season, a year removed from his meteoric rise and heroic Euro 2024 contributions. The manager has also denied suggestions that he doesn’t rate him. The club view Mainoo as a “key part” of Amorim’s plans and believe he will continue to improve as he gains experience. It is noted that Mainoo has yet to reach 100 senior games for club and country, having played 94 to date.
Off-field attention added to the story after a stunt in the stands during the Bournemouth game. Jordan Mainoo-Hames, the player’s older half-sibling, unveiled a T-shirt in the stands at Old Trafford that read ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’, posed for photographs and uploaded a snap to social media. Whether Mainoo was complicit in that action is unclear.
United’s stance is straightforward: they are not looking to move the academy graduate in January unless a transfer represents a rare, exceptional financial opportunity. For now, the club prefer to keep the young midfielder within their plans and reject temporary departures that would interrupt the season.
