Fresh from picking up an impressive 2-2 draw away to Premier League leaders Liverpool, the mood is improving at Manchester United and manager Ruben Amorin’s optimism might start to rub off on the club before too long.
And one unsettled player may well be on his way soon with Serie A giants AC Milan reported to be considering making a move for out-of-favour forward Marcus Rashford. The 27 year old has been left out of the Red Devils squad in recent weeks amidst speculation that he was soon to be on his way. Rashford recently did an interview in the UK press saying he was willing to fight for his place at Old Trafford but it seems that ship may have already sailed.
Manchester United were willing to sell the England international in the summer but there were no takers and his salary may well have put off a number of potential suitors. It seems like the Saudi Pro League might have been the best bet for Rashford but, on Monday, reports in Milan and Manchester suggested a move to Serie A could be a possibility. I Rossoneri were in the Supercoppa Italiana final in Riyadh on Monday, facing city rivals Inter Milan but, back in the Italian top flight they have struggled, and are currently outside the European places.
Milan sacked manager Paulo Fonseca last week and recruited Sergio Conceicao and the new man will be keen to strengthen his hand, with Rashford on the radar. The Serie A giants will only consider a loan and would expect Manchester United to cover a large chunk of the player’s salary but that may be a satisfactory option for all three parties, though AC Milan are not the only club monitoring the situation.
Another Manchester United forward, Joshua Zirkzee, is the subject of speculation too, with Juventus reported to be enquiring about a loan deal for the 23 year old. The Old Lady is managed by Thiago Motta who looked after Zirkzee at Bologna and that might encourage the Dutch star to consider a switch, after a torrid first few months at Old Trafford. He was jeered by United fans during a recent defeat to Newcastle United, but received a much warmer reception when he came on as a substitute against Liverpool on Sunday and manager Ruben Amorin has included him in all his matchday squads, and says he wants Zirkzee to stay in Manchester.
Kinsky flies into Tottenham
Under fire Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has made an early move in the transfer market to bring in a keeper, as Tottenham Hotspur have signed Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in a £12.5m move from Slavia Prague. The highly rated 21 year old has signed a deal which takes him to 2031 and he signed in time to be eligible for Tottenham’s Carabao Cup semi-final date with Liverpool on Wednesday. While he is unlikely to start the game Kinsky will be introduced to the home fans and could well take a place on the bench in one of the biggest matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in some time. Born and raised in Prague he signed for Slavia in 2020, making nine appearances for the B Team in his first season. He’s spent time out on loan and the Czech U21 stopper has made 19 appearances for Slavia; and now he’s ready for a step up.
Spurs are looking for re-enforcements at the other end of the pitch too and have asked for information on Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani. The French star is said to be receptive to a move to the Premier League but, with Juventus also interested, the North London club has serious competition.
Newcastle wait on Guehi
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United are on the charge, with five league wins on the bounce taking the Magpies up to fifth in the league table and a single point behind Chelsea in fourth. If the Geordies keep up the momentum with their Premier League 2025 results they can realistically hope to return to Champions League football and, with a well settled and lethal attack, spearheaded by Alexander Isak, Howe is hoping to strengthen in defence.
The Geordies have been heavily linked with Lens centre back Abdukodir Khusanov in recent weeks, but fans in the North East have been getting more excited by the suggestion that Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi could switch South London for the Tyne. After he impressed at Euro 2024 Newcastle tried to sign Guehi in the summer and their interest has been rekindled now that the January transfer window has opened. Palace manager Oliver Glasner has played down the speculation but there are still over three weeks to go before the window shuts.
The latest Premier League 2025 betting odds here at SBOTOP rate the Magpies as a top six team, but if they carry on as they have over the past few weeks, and manage to strengthen, then a Champions League place is a real possibility.
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