Stretty News

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to act on their longstanding interest in Kobbie Mainoo after being snubbed by priority target Eberechi Eze.

It was confirmed on Wednesday evening that Arsenal had successfully hijacked Spurs’ pursuit of Eze following a lengthy injury layoff to Kai Havertz. The Crystal Palace talisman is expected to undergo his medical with the Gunners on Friday, leaving Tottenham floundering for a suitable alternative.

They themselves are having to navigate the absence of James Maddison, who’s likely to be out for the best part of the season whilst he recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture.

Tottenham to act on Kobbie Mainoo interest

Alas, the North London outfit have reportedly landed on Manchester United’s No.37 in hopes of sanctioning a deal in the final fortnight of the window.

Spurs were said to have made an initial enquiry over Mainoo’s availability earlier in the summer before pursuing other targets. Now, according to GiveMeSport, United have attached a £60 million price tag to their academy graduate, whose sale would generate straight profit for the board and provide a healthy PSR boost.

From the fans’ perspective, the prospect of losing the 20-year-old is unthinkable as it is, never mind allowing him to leave for a direct Premier League rival.

Allowing Mainoo to leave would be inexcusable from INEOS

The Old Trafford faithful would rightfully oppose Mainoo’s departure if things began materialising in the coming days. However, Ruben Amorim might not stand in the way, given he has not utilised the midfielder as much as initially anticipated when he took the reins.

For example, Amorim’s decision to leave Mainoo on the bench for the entirety of United’s season-opener against Arsenal last Sunday was an eyebrow-raiser. In total, the Carrington graduate has been given the nod only 15 times under Amorim.

Furthermore, a valuation of £60m is nothing short of ludicrous if that is indeed the price Spurs have been quoted. Mainoo boasts 72 first-team appearances for the Reds, an FA Cup winners’ medal, where he played a direct role in United’s triumph by scoring in the final, and 10 England caps — six of which came at last year’s Euros.

Manchester United are now confirmed to have missed out on one of their midfield targets in the form of Bayern Munich’s João Palhinha.

Indeed, the Portugal international is poised to join Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan from the Bundesliga giants after failing to cement a starting role under Vincent Kompany.

United had been credited with interest in Palhinha on numerous occasions since the window opened, but the need to prioritise the forward positions has allowed Spurs to get a deal wrapped up swiftly.

Joao Palhinha on cusp of signing for Tottenham

Now, the former Fulham ace is awaiting his medical, which is likely to be completed today.

Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg confirmed the ‘new details’ of the loan deal after a ‘breakthrough’ yesterday; Tottenham will have the option of making Palhinha’s transfer permanent upon the culmination of his temporary spell for £21.6 million.

They are paying a £4.3m loan fee and are covering his full wages, worth a reported £166,000 per week before bonuses (Capology).

How Palhinha has fared over the last year

Last July, the 30-year-old signed for Bayern in a £42.3m switch from Fulham. It came just under a year on from his failed transfer to the German giants, whereby he travelled to Munich to undergo his medical and even went as far as completing media duties at the Allianz Arena, before the Cottagers called off the deal on deadline day due to them being unable to sign a replacement in time.

Bayern revived their pursuit 10 months later and were successful the second time around. However, Kompany proceeded to utilise Palhinha sparingly throughout 2024/2025; the player made a total of just 25 appearances across all competitions, including only 10 starts.

Kobbie Mainoo may be made available in the latter stages of the transfer window in order for INEOS to recuperate funds.

To say it’s been an uneventful summer for Manchester United this year is an understatement; welcoming Matheus Cunha early doors before spending six weeks negotiating a deal for Bryan Mbeumo, whilst also not sanctioning any permanent outgoings, has left fans racking their brains over how the side will be able to compete next season.

The fact that there is no European football to account for may be a blessing in disguise for Ruben Amorim, who’s poised to be working with a crop of players he’d have perhaps opted against signing had he been at the reins when the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund were being pursued.

Costly Casemiro is preventing a new midfield signing

According to Samuel Luckhurst, one area the board are keen to reinforce before 2025/2026 gets underway is the midfield, but they are being hindered by Casemiro still being on the books.

Attempts have been made by four intermediaries to try and offload the veteran, although they were to no avail. As such, his £300,000-a-week deal looks likely to run its course before it expires next summer.

Luckhurst has suggested that United may turn to something of a last resort to raise money by selling Kobbie Mainoo. He adds the 20-year-old could be ‘this year’s Scott McTominay’ due to him being one of the side’s most profitable assets and an academy graduate, meaning his sale would generate straight profit.

To make the situation more uncertain, United have been in contract talks with Mainoo for over 12 months without reaching an agreement. He is tied down to Old Trafford until 2027 plus the option of an additional season, but the prospect of him potentially leaving as a free agent later down the line is unthinkable.

Had Fernandes gone to Saudi then #mufc would've had funds and leverage to move for a midfielder quickly. There's a remote possibility that Mainoo could be this year's McTominay (sellable asset, homegrown and contract issue) but Amorim needs to make it work with him.

— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) July 24, 2025

Where could Mainoo end up?

The England star wouldn’t be short of interest if he were made available, either.

Tottenham Hotspur are said to have registered their interest in a deal for Kobbie Mainoo, who could potentially be sold this summer.

For the Manchester United faithful, the prospect of losing one of their most exhilarating academy talents of recent years to a direct Premier League rival is unthinkable. However, it’s not to INEOS.

In the final months of last season, reports began doing the rounds revealing that Mainoo was no longer considered off-limits at Old Trafford as the club look to raise funds by any means necessary. The 20-year-old, who already boasts 10 England caps, 72 first-team United appearances and an FA Cup winners’ medal, is undoubtedly one of their most sellable assets.

Spurs approach United to discuss Kobbie Mainoo

Add that to the fact that Ruben Amorim has struggled with how to utilise Mainoo, and it may just pave the way for another club to unsettle him.

TBR Football claims Spurs have made a ‘shock enquiry’ to try and gauge the feasibility of signing the midfielder before the window closes, while Chelsea also retain their long-standing interest.

United’s stance is unconfirmed, but you’d have to question whether they’d consider parting ways with their homegrown talent prematurely if they fail to recuperate sizeable fees when shifting Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia; the fact Marcus Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan means the Reds have already missed out on the £40 million they were hoping to raise from his departure.

Mainoo mulling over long-term Red Devils future

Perhaps the main reason behind Spurs’ approach is that it’s been public knowledge for some time now that United have been in contract negotiations with Mainoo for over 12 months now without any joy.

He is tied down to a deal until 2027, plus the option of an additional year at United’s discretion, but if it’s appearing as though the Carrington graduate is leanign towards running down his terms, you can bet the club will move to offload him to ensure they don’t lose him for nothing later down the line – when his value may habe increased even higher.

Alejandro Garnacho is awaiting concrete approaches from his suitors this summer ahead of his anticipated Old Trafford exit.

The Manchester United starlet is one of five players to have handed in transfer requests in M16 after being made aware they were no longer part of Ruben Amorim’s plans.

Unlike his teammates, Garnacho has actually garnered a wide range of interest to mull over in the coming weeks, with three Premier League clubs believed to be in the race.

Garnacho sets sights on Premier League switch

Staying in the English top flight is said to be Garnacho’s priority for the upcoming campaign, so he’ll be delighted to have learned that Aston Villa, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen on adding him to their ranks – particularly the former.

TBR Football claims the 21-year-old is eager to test his resolve under Unai Emery by replicating the route taken by Marcus Rashford in reviving his form at Villa Park, albeit on a long-term basis as opposed to a loan.

Garnacho has ‘heard good things’ about the Villa project and has seen first-hand how young stars, such as Morgan Rogers, can flourish under the Spanish manager’s guidance.

Villa mull over Garnacho swoop

Of course, a move to the Midlands outfit would not allow Garnacho to play in the Champions League next season like Chelsea and Spurs would, but that’s certainly not the be-all and end-all if he’s been promised he can play an integral role on the flanks next season.

The Argentine international would likely get off on the right foot with fans, too, given he shared a snap to Instagram wearing a Villa shirt last month with Rashford’s name and number on the back.

Serie A champions Napoli are also prepared to offer him a route abroad for the first time in his senior career.

Much to Alejandro Garnacho’s delight, he is finally receiving the Premier League interest he’s desired since the summer began.

It’s been common knowledge for several weeks now that Garnacho has had his sights set on a move within the English top flight as opposed to moving abroad. However, his wish can only come to fruition if the sides actually make their interest known.

That could well be the case in the coming weeks, as the Manchester United starlet eyes an Old Trafford exit before 2025/2026 gets underway in a month’s time.

Who’s interested in Alejandro Garnacho?

It was revealed in recent days that Garnacho had earned a newfound admirer in the form of Aston Villa, whilst he was also aware that he remained an option on Chelsea’s shortlist following their talks with his agents back in January.

Now, according to Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are also monitoring his situation from afar and mulling over a potential swoop for the Red Devils forward.

The 21-year-old has been keeping up his fitness levels in the build up to the new season by training at Carrington – albeit he and the other outcasts in the squad (Antony, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia and Marcus Rashford) have been made to report to the training complex after 5pm when Ruben Amorim and the rest of the first-team have left.

Why United may have to accept a cut-price bid for Garnacho

MailSport’s report adds that Garnacho, an eight-capped Argentine international, was previously valued in the region of £70 million, but his public spat with Amorim has likely led to his price tag plummeting, with interested outfits now aware that United are desperate to sell their exiled academy graduate.

He signed from Atletico Madrid’s youth ranks in 2020 for a fee of £420,000 and has since racked up 144 senior appearances in red.

Manchester United could end up missing out on Bryan Mbeumo, as Tottenham Hotspur’s expected move might jeopardise the whole transfer.

The Red Devils have identified the Cameroonian winger as their next top target after signing Matheus Cunha a few weeks ago.

But while INEOS were able to recruit the Brazilian forward relatively easily, mostly thanks to a release clause inserted in his contract with Wolves, Mbeumo is proving to be a significantly more complicated affair, as it entails negotiating a deal with Brentford who are in no mood to accept any discounts.

Therefore, the Bees have already rejected at least two offers from Man Utd. So even though Mbeumo had already identified MUFC as his preferred destination, his future remains up in the air.

How Spurs can ruin Man Utd’s plans for Bryan Mbeumo

In recent weeks, it has been reported that the 25-year-old is also a target of Spurs who appointed his former Brentford manager, Thomas Frank. Nevertheless, the North Londoners never submitted a concrete offer for Mbeumo.

And yet, Tottenham could still sabotage United’s plans by pursuing the Cameroonian’s teammate, Yonae Wissa.

According to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, Spurs are interested in the Congolese striker, which could leave Man Utd’s hopes of signing Mbeumo in tatters, as Brentford are highly unlikely to sell their two biggest attacking assets in the same summer transfer window.

Therefore, Thomas believes Man United must speed up their attempts to close an agreement with Brentford for Mbeumo before the window of opportunity expires.

United must speed up their attempts to finalise Mbeumo deal

Last season, Mbeumo and Wissa formed one of the deadliest attacking pairs in the Premier League. Hence, many Man Utd fans have been urging the management to try to reunite them at Carrington, but as reported above, The Bees aren’t open to selling both men.

Stats in 2024/25 Appearances Goals Assists Bryan Mbeumo 42 20 9 Yoane Wissa 39 20 5

Hence, INEOS must try to land Mbeumo before turning their attention to signing a new centre-forward from another club.

It’s safe to say each of Manchester United’s Premier League fixtures from now until the end of the term are must-wins.

They enter matchweek 26 in 15th place following last Sunday’s narrow defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, who completed a double over the Red Devils for the first-ever time in Premier League history.

Should United lose and West Ham overturn title-chasing Arsenal the following day, Ruben Amorim’s side could drop to 16th by the end of the weekend. Additionally, Everton could hold a four-point advantage over the Reds if they reign victorious on their home turf in Saturday’s early kick-off.

In regards to the personnel Amorim is likely to have at his disposal, fans are well aware that he’s navigating an injury-plagued squad. He confirmed that Amad Diallo will miss the remainder of the campaign along with Lisandro Martinez, who’s just undergone successful surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament.

Patrick Dorgu impresses in first full 90 as a Red

No player covered themself in glory in North London last time out. However, supporters have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly Patrick Dorgu has taken to Amorim’s system in his first two appearances for the club.

The winter signing played the full 90 minutes against Spurs and ended his shift with some pretty stellar stats to show for his efforts. He made 10 passes into the final third, five crosses and created two chances, demonstrating exactly what the boss demands from his wing-backs.

Dorgu also won 100 per cent of his tackles, eight duels and made one clearance.

Alas, you can expect he’ll retain his starting spot for the forthcoming trip to take on the in-form Toffees, which is followed by a home clash against relegation candidates Ipswich Town on Wednesday, February 26.

Manchester United return to Premier League action this Sunday following an eight-day rest after their FA Cup advancement.

The Reds left it late to seal their progression in their fourth-round cup clash against Leicester City, with Harry Maguire coming in clutch by heading home from Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick in the last play of the game. Fans will be hoping any victory this weekend is more straightforward – though they’ll ultimately take what they can get.

Last time out in the top flight saw United fall to a 2-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, meaning they enter matchweek 25 in 13th place. A win in North London would not be enough for them to break their way into the top half of the table just yet, much to Ruben Amorim’s dismay.

Should Tottenham Hotspur reign victorious come the full-time whistle, they will overtake United by just one point.

United tipped to seal much-needed win at Spurs

Chris Sutton has shared his prediction for Sunday’s late kick-off (4.30pm) via his BBC Sport column, writing: “Tottenham demolished Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford in September but that does not really have any bearing here.

“Spurs are getting players back from injury, and Timo Werner, James Maddison, and Guglielmo Vicario are among those training again, but how fit are they going to be for this game? Ange Postecoglou says his players are out on their feet, and we could see that in their FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa, so a lot depends on how much they have left in the tank.

“As for Manchester United, well, I’ve been reading reports this week that some of their players are unhappy with Ruben Amorim’s style of play. There is lots going on off the pitch, too, with stories that more redundancies are planned at the club following controversy over a rise in ticket prices.

“Who would have thought when Ineos completed their deal to take a stake in United 12 months ago that, within a year, they could possibly be as unpopular with fans as co-owners the Glazers are?

“In regards to Amorim, I just think he needs time. He arrived in mid-season, he has his way of playing and United will have to give him the players who fit that system, so it might take a window or two before we see him with the team he wants.

“There needs to be patience there, but we also know football fans are impatient. They want to see some improvement in the short term, and it is hard to argue they have made any progress since Amorim took charge.

“I still have a sneaky feeling they might edge this game, but I cannot really tell you what I am basing that on. This is a big game for Ange too – now his side is out of both domestic cups – but I am going with United, just.”

Still cautious of the fact Alejandro Garnacho could depart before Monday’s deadline, Manchester United have a few potential replacements in mind.

The Argentine livewire has attracted concrete interest from both Chelsea and Napoli, though only the latter went as far as making a £40 million bid, which was swiftly rebuffed by United.

As for the Blues’ pursuit, they’ve – for now – switched their attention to Bayern Munich wantaway Mathys Tel, who’s also said to be of interest to Ruben Amorim and Co.

Throughout the season, one name who’s regularly been brought up in conversations regarding United’s transfer targets is Tyler Dibling. Recent reports suggested he would be viewed as a like-for-like successor to Garnacho in the event the No.17, who has eight goals and five assists to his name this campaign, is offloaded.

United among mix for sought-after Dibling

Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail has further verified that the Reds are on Dibling’s lengthy list of admirers – along with fellow Premier League strugglers Tottenham Hotspur.

The turmoil they’re currently enduring could force Daniel Levy’s hand into bolstering Ange Postecoglou’s options amidst a host of detrimental injuries across the squad, as Mokbel claims Spurs ‘would be open to signing the youngster this month’.

Hailed as ‘one of the best young talents in European football’, Dibling, 18, burst onto the scene this term and has been one bright spark during Southampton’s dismal return to the top flight. The Saints look certain to be dropping back down to the Championship come May, which would make it incredibly difficult for them to keep hold of their sought-after prospect.

A summer move would undoubtedly suit United more, too, as they don’t have the funds available to match the attacker’s valuation this month.