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Against all expectations, Manchester United won 1-0 against Newcastle at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
Ruben Amorim had a severely depleted squad to choose from, and as a result he was forced to go with Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte in the middle of the park.
Surprisingly, it was the Uruguayan who impressed, while the Brazilian had to be subbed off early in the second half.
The Brazilian no longer has the legs to operate week in, week out in the English top flight, while the ex-PSG boss is still linked with an exit.
Ruben Neves and James Garner linked with shock United moves
The head coach had identified the midfield as an area needing strengthening in the summer, but a move for Carlos Baleba failed to materialise.
Since then, the Cameroonian’s form has fallen off a cliff, with Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson overtaking him on the list of transfer targets.
However, given their importance to their respective clubs, a move in January appears to be off the table. Which left the 20-time English league champions targeting short-term targets such as Ruben Neves and former Carrington graduate James Garner.
The Portugal international is currently playing in Saudi Arabia, but his relatively low cost and Premier League experience made him a viable target.
The same goes for the Everton ace, plus his links with the club made him a valuable asset, especially mid-season.
Both are potential Bosman transfers in the summer, but as it turns out The Athleticsby David Ornstein NBC Sportsthere is nothing concrete for the couple as of now.
David Ornstein clears the air
He also revealed that the Red Devils are more likely to approve the departure of Joshua Zirkzee than Kobbie Mainoo.
“No transfer activity is expected at Manchester United, going forward, in January. Outgoing possibly in terms of Kobbie Mainoo, or perhaps more plausibly Joshua Zirkzee, although nothing has been said about that.”
“Manchester United need all the players they have at their disposal. We have linked players like Ruben Neves and James Garner to them, but I am not aware of anything concrete on that front.”
Amorim has made it quite clear that he wants players he can use in the long term rather than short-term deals.
It will be interesting to see if INEOS can close even one deal during the winter period.
Feature image Megan Briggs via Getty Images
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