Manchester United have placed a valuation in excess of $50 million on goalkeeper André Onana, according to Trabzonspor vice president Zeyyat Kafkas. Onana was quickly moved out on loan to Türkiye after signing for United from Inter in 2023, and the presence of Lammens in the United goal has intensified scrutiny of the Cameroon international’s form.

Kafkas says United remain intent on recouping a fee close to what they originally paid. “The price offered by Manchester United for André Onana’s purchase was in the €45-50 million ($52-58 million) range, and our President sincerely informed the club about the realities of Trabzonspor,” said Kafkas .

The numbers underline the difficulty of finding a buyer. United paid $57 million to sign Onana and are now attempting to recover a similar sum almost three years on. The goalkeeper will turn 30 in April and his contract runs until 2028, factors that complicate any permanent deal.

Kafkas also suggested the loan environment has not necessarily altered the player’s own priorities. “I don’t think this information affected Onana at all. Because Onana’s intention is to continue playing for a club in Europe if not in England. His family also thinks that way. The President wanted to explain the realities of Trabzonspor. However, if the circumstances change, the situation will change”

Beyond transfer fee expectations, United face the practical problem of Onana’s wages, listed at $164,000-per-week. That salary makes a permanent move harder to engineer and increases the likelihood that United will pursue further loans if they cannot find a club willing to meet the financial terms. In short, the club’s valuation, the player’s contract length and his weekly pay together create a narrow path for a straight sale.

Manchester United and Manchester City have both been linked to Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha as each evaluates midfield options ahead of a period of change.

Nmecha, 25, is under contract in Germany until 2028, but his long-term future at Dortmund is described as uncertain. Clubs across Europe have taken note of a player who has enjoyed a career resurgence in recent seasons.

An English-educated talent, Nmecha joined City’s academy in 2007 and spent 14 years on the books at the Etihad. He made three senior appearances for Manchester City and provided an assist in five minutes of Champions League action. He left City on a free transfer to join Wolfsburg in 2021 and moved to Dortmund two years later.

At City he was primarily an attacking player, operating behind the striker and on the left wing. In Germany he has been converted into a more all-action midfielder, often deployed deeper in a midfield pivot or as a box-to-box presence. That tactical change produced some of the best performances of his career. Standing at 6’3, Nmecha combines physicality with a broad on-ball skillset, and his earlier attacking training remains evident alongside developed defensive discipline. Former Dortmund boss Nuri Şahin described the German international as a “dream” because of his versatility.

United view a versatile midfielder as a priority as they prepare to bid farewell to Casemiro and contemplate broader rebuild plans that could see Manuel Ugarte moved on and leave Kobbie Mainoo as the only natural midfielder in the squad. The profile of a player like Nmecha would give the next manager, whether Michael Carrick or somebody else, tactical options during reconstruction.

City are not in the same immediate need but Pep Guardiola accepts the need to rejuvenate a squad that has fallen short in the title race. With doubts over the futures of Mateo Kovačić, Bernardo Silva and Rodri, they may seek new faces. Some inside City will be familiar with Nmecha and may be regretting the decision not to extend his contract five years ago.

Both clubs are also linked to other targets. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson sits high on both shortlists with a reported £100 million ($133.5 million) price tag. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba are also under consideration.

Gareth Bale has reiterated that a transfer to Manchester United was never his intention in the summer of 2013, even though discussions took place with manager David Moyes. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Bale confirmed that United’s interest was real and financially significant.

“I did talk to United , yeah. They actually bid more than Real Madrid,” he said. When asked whether he was ever going to join United that summer, Bale answered plainly: “No.”

The episode also recalled an episode from Jul. 17, 2013 when United’s executive Ed Woodward left the club’s preseason tour in Australia to conduct what was described as “urgent transfer business.” United were also pursuing Cesc Fàbregas at the time, but neither Fàbregas nor Bale arrived at Old Trafford that window.

Bale described his own discussions: “I spoke with David Moyes. I didn’t speak [with Ed Woodward], maybe my agent did. But my heart was set on Madrid anyway,” and he explained a contractual understanding with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy that affected any possible move. “I had something in place with Daniel Levy, more of a gentleman’s agreement, because he didn’t want to sell me to a rival—you don’t want to strengthen another team,” he said. “So if a team did come in [for me] from Spain, Italy, Germany, wherever, I could potentially go. If we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, which we didn’t, I was then able to go.”

United ultimately signed Marouane Fellaini from Everton at the end of the transfer window, paying $42.9 million (£27.5 million) after allowing a lower release clause to expire in the hope it might make negotiations easier. Fellaini was the only new arrival into a squad described as ageing and in need of wider rejuvenation; the campaign finished with a seventh-place Premier League position, the club’s worst in the Premier League era at that time.