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Manchester United are looking to add more creativity to the team with the signing of Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

According to TEAMtalk, they have a long-standing interest in the 26-year-old playmaker, and it remains to be seen whether they decide to submit an offer for him. Tottenham are also keeping tabs on him after missing out last summer.

Can Man United sign Morgan Gibbs-White?

Nottingham Forest does not want to lose the player, and it will be difficult for Manchester United to complete the deal. He has a long-term contract with the club, and Nottingham Forest are under no pressure to sell him.

There is no doubt that he would be a very handy option for Manchester United. He could be the ideal cover for Bruno Fernandes. Manchester United will be competing in the UEFA Champions League next season, and they need adequate depth in the team. The 26-year-old could score goals from the midfield and create opportunities for his teammates. He has 16 goals to his name this season, and he has picked up seven assists as well.

Gibbs-White might need to push for a move

Playing alongside top-quality players at Manchester United could bring out the best in him. It remains to be seen whether the player is attracted to the idea of moving to Old Trafford. Gibbs-White is a boyhood Manchester United fan. Before he signed a long-term contract with Nottingham Forest, he was very close to joining Tottenham Hotspur.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest could lose Elliot Anderson in the summer as well. They will not want to lose two key players in one window. It remains to be seen how the situation develops. Multiple clubs are keeping tabs on both players, and Nottingham Forest could be in for a tough time during the summer transfer window.

In the event Micky van de Ven decides to part ways with Tottenham Hotspur this summer, Manchester United and Liverpool will be at the front of the queue.

The two rivals have set their sights on a deal for the Spurs fan-favourite, who faces an uncertain future in North London after three seasons at the club.

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Micky van de Ven: The state of play

Should Spurs be relegated in the coming weeks, you’d imagine Van de Ven’s exit would be nailed-on.

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They did manage to escape the bottom three following West Ham’s defeat to Brentford and their subsequent win over Aston Villa. However, with three fixtures remaining, Tottenham know they have to be relatively perfect if they’re to retain their top-flight status for 2026/2027.

Even if the London outfit do stay up, the coveted centre-half could still look to explore a new venture, given the interest in him and the turbulent campaign he’s had to oversee.

Micky van de Ven from his own half 🤯#UCL pic.twitter.com/IHBk2muSL9

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 10, 2025

Van de Ven would opt for Liverpool move instead of United

Unfortunately for United, TeamTalk claims that for Van de Ven, a move to Anfield ‘would hold immense appeal’.

He is said to be a boyhood Liverpool fan, and the prospective transfer would see him partner compatriot Virgil van Dijk in his final year on Merseyside before replacing the long-serving captain.

H2H: William Saliba vs Micky Van de Ven. 🔴⚪️

Two top defenders, who’s been better this season? 🤔👇 #ARSTOT #PremierLeague #NLD pic.twitter.com/zFvSfcuOE0

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) November 23, 2025

Signing an eventual successor to Van Dijk is Liverpool’s priority for the transfer window, whereas United are seeking to successfully replace Casemiro, who will leave as a free agent when his contract expires next month.

If they’re made to facilitate the 25-year-old’s departure, Spurs would reportedly ask for a fee in the region of £60-90 million for Van de Ven, which is dependent on their Premier League survival.

They agreed a deal worth £43m when signing him from Wolfsburg in 2023.

Manchester United are reportedly sizing up a potential summer swoop for Tottenham Hotspur stalwart Micky van de Ven.

While not a priority in the same way the midfield is, it’s thought INEOS are considering changes to the backline following an injury-ridden season for Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire.

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Why are United considering a new centre-half addition?

Ayden Heaven (19) and Leny Yoro (20) have been trustworthy to call upon and deputise in the absence of their senior counterparts, and they’ll have only benefited from the increased game time.

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Still, it goes without saying that depth is essential in all areas of the squad if United are to compete on all fronts, including the Champions League, next season.

With the number of matches the experienced trio have missed throughout 2025/2026, it does raise the question as to whether they can be relied upon throughout the course of a jam-packed campaign.

Player PL appearances (starts) Injured Minutes played De Ligt 13 (13) 22 1,170 Martinez 15 (10) 16 961 Maguire 20 (16) 10 1,185

United mulling over Van de Ven proposal

That’s why Van de Ven has emerged as a potential target for the Red Devils.

Micky van de Ven from his own half 🤯#UCL pic.twitter.com/IHBk2muSL9

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 10, 2025

Although his deal with Spurs runs until June 2029, he could well consider a premature departure in the coming months due to the sheer turbulence of the season he’s had to oversee in North London, which could still culminate with the side being relegated.

It’s been nothing short of a fall from grace for Tottenham, considering it’s not even a full year since they overturned United in Bilbao to claim their first major honour in 17 years by winning the Europa League.

Van de Ven was crucial to their victory, too, having stopped a certain United equaliser with a goal-line clearance.

WHAT A CLEARANCE MICKY VAN DE VEN 🤩👏

Incredible from the Spurs centre half as he acrobatically clears Hojlund's goal-bound header off the line!!

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/YhnGGMnk2x

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 21, 2025

When Spurs’ top-flight action comes to an end this month, the 25-year-old’s sole focus will then be on overseeing a successful World Cup campaign with the Netherlands, where he’ll hope to occupy a starting spot under Ronald Koeman.

What one insider is hearing about United and Van de Ven

Verifying reports that United are indeed among Van de Ven’s suitors in the lead-up to the transfer window, former club chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider: “Going into next season, they want an experienced and reliable centre-back alongside Maguire, and that’s why Micky van de Ven is somebody I’m told they’re looking at.

“He might leave Tottenham even if they stay in the Premier League because he wants to play at a higher level, and Man United can offer him that.

“He would be an ambitious target, but he’s somebody they like in a position they need to strengthen, so it’s something they have to look at.”

In the event that either Nottingham Forest or Tottenham Hotspur are relegated in the next four weeks, Manchester United may look to capitalise on the situation.

According to The Telegraph, both Murillo and Micky van de Ven are ‘admired’ by United and would be seen as two options if INEOS looked to reinforce the backline this summer.

Carrick says centre back “not an area of concern for me at this moment in time”#MUFC plan to run with same 5 CBs next season but De Ligt could force reappraisal if situation doesn’t improve & there’s Martinez’s history

Murillo/Van de Ven admired

⬇️https://t.co/o5kaLYlpH0

— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) April 27, 2026

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United shortlist Murillo and Van de Ven

Only one would be signed, and it would likely be dependent on the respective clubs’ top-flight status.

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Following their 5-0 thumping of Sunderland and 4-1 triumph over Burnley, which saw all four goals come in the second half, Forest now sit 16th-placed and five points clear of the bottom three.

A match-saving block from Murillo to end @NFFC v @ManCity! 😮 pic.twitter.com/UAmt1ma2oZ

— Premier League (@premierleague) March 5, 2026

Spurs, on the other hand, are in the depths of their survival quest. Despite claiming their first win of the calendar year against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, they remain 18th and two points behind West Ham, who defeated Everton 2-1.

Will United actually sign any defenders this summer?

James Ducker’s report does state that United are satisfied with their defensive options and are comfortable continuing with their centre-halves throughout 2026/2027, but they would feel obliged to strengthen the unit if the side’s form takes a turn for the worse in the remaining five fixtures.

Perhaps the biggest test, on paper, from now until the culmination of the term is Sunday’s clash at home to Liverpool, who moved up to fourth and level on points with United in the aftermath of their win over Crystal Palace and Aston Villa’s loss to Fulham.

Lisandro Martinez has endured yet another injury-plagued season and Harry Maguire has also struggled to stay fit, while Matthijs de Ligt’s back problem has kept him out of action since November.

Manchester United will have a better chance at landing Marcos Senesi should Tottenham Hotspur be ruled out of the race.

Both clubs are in the market for a new central defender, but only one is guaranteed to play in the Premier League next season.

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Man Utd currently sit third in the table, closing in on a Champions League qualification. On the other hand, Spurs are third from bottom, with the unfathomable demotion to the Championship becoming an increasingly more likely scenario.

Marcos Senesi would suit Man Utd’s needs

In recent months, it has been revealed that Senesi is destined to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season. The Argentine has been plying his trade at the Vitality Stadium since making the move from Feyenoord in 2022, but his plan is to run down his contract with Cherries before moving towards a bigger club.

Italian journalist Matteo Moretto insisted that Senesi will 99.99% stay in England next season. While Man Utd and other top clubs are in the case, Spurs have been leading the queue.

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Nevertheless, the 28-year-old certainly doesn’t plan to play his football in the Championship next season, so Tottenham’s relegation would rule them out of the race.

During his appearance on the United Stand, Ben Jacobs confirmed that the North Londoners’ drop would indeed boost Man Utd’s chances, as INEOS have been seeking a similar profile to bolster their backline.

🚨 The race for Senesi is open, and he fits one of the kind of profiles Man Utd are looking for at CB.

He probably won't join Tottenham if they go down, despite them being the front-runners. [@JacobsBen, @UnitedStandMUFC] #mufc pic.twitter.com/s29AuvQw19

— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) April 23, 2026

Why Senesi could be enticing profile for Man United

With Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt struggling for fitness, the Man Utd management feels the urge to sign a new centre-back, especially with the club potentially navigating through 60 matches or so next season.

Harry Maguire’s recent renewal has provided the squad with extra depth, while Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are slowly but surely improving, but MUFC need ready-made profiles, and Senesi has already proven his worth in the Premier League over the years. He has been recently praised for his ‘phenomenal’ performance against Arsenal.

Moreover, the Argentine is 28, so he’s supposedly at the peak of his powers, and unlike some of the club’s current defenders, he has been healthy all season.

On another note, Senesi will be available on a free transfer, and his salary requests should be modest enough compared to United’s current wage structure.

Senesi’s Stats in 25/26 Appearances Goals Assists Premier League 33 0 5 FA Cup 1 0 0 Carabao Cup 1 0 0 Total 35 0 5

Finally, the Concordia native is also proficient in the buildup phase, as proven by his impressive assist tally. Hence, his presence would make up for Martinez’s absence, even in the attacking phase.

Manchester United are plotting an ambitious move to sign Archie Gray from Tottenham Hotspur.

The 20-year-old has done quite well since joining the London club from Leeds United, and he is regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest young talents. Tottenham will not want to sell the player, but they could be under pressure to do so if they are relegated in the summer. They are currently fighting for survival in the top flight. They will hope to secure safety so they can keep their best players.

Manchester United wanted to sign Gray during his time at Leeds United.

Man United ready Archie Gray swoop

According to a report from SportsBoom, Manchester United will move for the 20-year-old midfielder in the summer if Tottenham go down. Multiple clubs are keeping tabs on his situation, and an offer of around £55 million could force the London club to consider a sale.

Gray can operate in multiple roles in the middle of the park and in defence. His versatility would be a huge bonus for Manchester United if they can get the deal done. He has all the attributes to develop into a star, and Manchester United would do well to secure his signature.

Will Gray move on in summer?

It will be interesting to see if the talented young midfielder is prepared to leave Tottenham in the summer. Manchester United are among the biggest clubs in the world, and the opportunity to play for them can be tempting.

Meanwhile, losing a talent like him would be a devastating blow for any club. Tottenham simply cannot afford to lose someone like him if they are looking to build an ambitious project. It will be interesting to see if they can secure safety in the top flight and keep their best players at the club.

Ian Wright, like every Manchester United supporter, was thoroughly impressed with Kobbie Mainoo’s performance on Saturday afternoon.

The midfielder deservedly retained his spot in the XI for the fourth consecutive game under Michael Carrick; throughout the first half of the campaign when Ruben Amorim was at the reins, he didn’t make a single Premier League start.

Mainoo flourishing in Carrick’s revitalised side

Carrick was keen to correct matters as soon as he got in the dugout, though, and it’s safe to say his trust was instantly paid off by the youngster.

For the wins over the top two in the league, Arsenal and Manchester City, Mainoo covered the most distance of any player on the pitch across both sides, while he also assisted in the 3-2 triumph at the Emirates.

He did the same against Tottenham Hotspur two days ago when he set up Bryan Mbeumo for the opener via a well-worked corner routine from United.

Yet, it wasn’t just his goal contribution that caught viewers’ eyes. As per Fotmob, the Carrington graduate recorded 10 final-third passes, two dribbles, one accurate cross and three touches in Spurs’ box.

In defence, he made two tackles, one clearance, one headed clearance and four recoveries, while winning six ground duels and two aerial duels.

What the pundits had to say about Mainoo vs Spurs

Owen Hargreaves claimed post-match that he had never seen Mainoo play a bad game for United, adding that he plys his trade as if he’s having a kick around with his mates.

Wright proceeded to say of the 20-year-old (via UtdDistrict): “Kobbie Mainoo really ran the game. It’s the kind of performance you’d expect from a Man Utd side that has these players in and around them.

“Michael Carrick’s come in and given them the belief, the formation that they’re comfortable in and, with the quality players they’ve got, you will get the results.”

Michael Carrick could still be without Matthijs de Ligt and Mason Mount for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon.

Manchester United host Spurs this weekend in hopes of extending their emphatic winning run to four matches, having overturned Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham since Carrick took the reins.

United and Tottenham: How they’ve fared as of late

In recent years, Tottenham have been something of a bogey team for United, with the Reds last defeating them in October 2022.

In the meantime, Spurs have gone eight matches without tasting defeat at the hands of the 20-time champions, which included last season’s lacklustre Europa League final in Bilbao.

Both sides have since endured managerial changes: Ange Postecoglou was relieved of his duties and replaced by Thomas Frank over the summer, while Carrick succeeded Ruben Amorim (and Darren Fletcher) as interim boss last month.

However, Frank, who spent seven years with Brentford, is already facing a hugely uncertain future, so will be absolutely desperate to leave Old Trafford with some points to earn some credit in the bank.

Carrick’s team news for Spurs clash

In regards to Carrick’s team options for the contest, it does look as though he’ll again have to make do without the two senior Reds.

Manchester Evening News journalist Steven Railston took to X/Twitter just before midday to confirm that De Ligt and Mount were nowhere to be seen during the squad’s training session.

The centre-half has been unavailable since United’s away win over Crystal Palace on November 26.

On the other hand, Mount, whom Amorim previously hailed as a ‘leader’, has sustained an issue once again, this time in the form of a knock.

Looks like Mount and De Ligt are absent from training. Mount missed the Fulham game after picking up a knock and De Ligt is still recovering from a back injury. The Dutchman last played against Crystal Palace on November 30 #mufc

— Steven Railston (@StevenRailston) February 4, 2026

As a result, he has played for just one minute under Carrick thus far, doing so via a very brief cameo in the closing stages of the Manchester derby.

Appearances Starts Injured Minutes played 66 30 52 2,624

Peter Schmeichel believes Micky Van de Ven would’ve been a perfect fit at Old Trafford had Tottenham Hotspur not scouted him first.

Amidst Tottenham’s ever-turbulent situation over the last two-and-a-half years, the defender has been an ever-present at the heart of their backline.

Van de Ven looks his best when alongside club captain Cristian Romero, though both have had to navigate their fair share of injury woes in recent seasons.

How Van de Ven has fared with Spurs

Both were available for last year’s Europa League final showdown against Manchester United, however, which culminated with them keeping a clean sheet and lifting the trophy in Bilbao following a scrappy 1-0 win for Spurs.

Remarkably, it came towards the end of a term in which the North London outfit finished 17th-placed in the Premier League, yet secured Champions League qualification via their UEL triumph.

Now, after finally putting an end to their lengthy trophyless era and swapping Ange Postecoglou for Thomas Frank in the dugout, Tottenham sit 14th-placed in the division, having failed to win any of their last six matches.

It’s prompted reports that Van de Ven could indeed be on the move in the summer to ply his trade in an all-new environment; before signing for Spurs, the 24-year-old played in his homeland with Volendam and spent two years in the Bundesliga with VfL Wolfsburg.

In August 2023, then-Daniel Levy-owned Tottenham agreed a £43 million deal to bring him to the club, shelling out an initial £34.5m to tie him down to a six-year contract.

What Schmeichel had to say about Van de Ven

From Schmeichel’s perspective, United should’ve moved to try and hijack the deal for the Dutch international.

“I think he has been a revelation. I think he is a fantastic player. He has a really, really good understanding of the game, and his speed is so valuable if you want to play offensive football,” said the former shot-stopper, as per Sport Witness.

“I sometimes think that a club like Manchester United or maybe even Liverpool should look for someone like him. Why didn’t they discover a player like him?”

Liverpool are one suitor thought to be looking to make up for missing out on Van de Ven the first time around, as they have identified him as a primary target for the summer window.

🚨 Liverpool want to sign Micky van de Ven as their long-term Virgil van Dijk replacement, according to reports 👀 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/gu8CVmtUe8

— LiveScore (@livescore) January 16, 2026

As for United, a centre-half addition will be necessary if Harry Maguire leaves upon the expiry of his contract, but they would be vying with Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and even young Ayden Heaven for minutes.

Should Joshua Zirkzee decide to embark on a late-window move away from Manchester United, he could well have the option to continue plying his trade in the Premier League.

That’s because, according to TeamTalk, both Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur have enquired over the 24-year-old to gauge the feasibility of signing him before the February 2 deadline.

Why are the two sides interested in out-of-favour Zirkzee?

Palace are preparing to lose top goalscorer Jean-Philippe Mateta in the closing stages of the window after he expressed a desire to leave, which has prompted Nottingham Forest to test the Eagles’ resolve with a £35 million bid.

As for Spurs, Thomas Frank is desperate to add some firepower to his attack amid a five-game winless run in the league. They now sit 14th-placed in the table, and are without centre-forward Richarlison for the coming weeks whilst he recovers from a hamstring injury.

It remains to be seen whether United would give Zirkzee the green light to explore alternative options, given he is poised to struggle massively with game time in the second half of the campaign.

Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo are now back from the African Cup of Nations and have resumed their stellar form, which has led to Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha dropping to the bench for the last two matches.

Zirkzee awaiting return to action

The Dutchman was unavailable due to a fitness concern, but will undoubtedly be seeking some clarification from Michael Carrick over the role he’s likely to play from now until the summer.