Man United set for bold £33m transfer u-turn ahead of first January deal as Man City favourite heads for exit
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Manchester City fans had a weekend to enjoy in the FA Cup as they secured their place in the fourth round of the competition in emphatic fashion.
The Sky Blues looked much more like the City of the old as they recorded a lopsided 8-0 victory against hapless League Two side Salford City.
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Hide AdThe class of 92 owned club could do little to stop both Jeremy Doku and James McAtee scoring hat-tricks as the likes of Divin Mubama, Jack Grealish and Nico O’Reilly also got on the scoresheet for Pep Guardiola’s side.
However, despite the quality of Manchester City’s performance out on the field, the bulk of the headlines were made by one standout omission from the squad in Kyle Walker, with the 93-time international failing to even make the bench for the contest.
Walker has been heavily linked with a move away from the Etihad in recent months and Guardiola confirmed in his post-match interview that the experienced England international could be heading for the exit door in this window. After the game, Guardiola explained: “Two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad. We cannot understand (what) the club did these years without Kyle. It’s impossible.
“He’s been our right-back, giving us something we didn’t have. But now in his mind, for many reasons, he would like to explore if he can go to another country to play his last years.”
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Hide AdThe former Barcelona coach admitted he would not stand in Walker’s way if he does want to leave, but insists it is not a foregone conclusion that he will be sold this month. When asked if Walker could be sold, he said: “Of course. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen because you never know the situation. But I am pretty convinced there’s no one in our job that doesn’t want to be there who can perform and be exactly what they want to be.”
Walker signed for Manchester City in a £45m deal from Tottenham in 2017 and has proved to be an inspired signing for the Cityzens after lifting six league titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups and a Champions League. Telegraph Sport claims AC Milan are expected to sign the Sheffield-born defender on a two and a half year contract this January, while Mail Sport claims rivals Inter Milan are also keen to get the deal over the line.
3AM verdict: Kyle Walker is one of the great right-backs of the Premier League era and a Manchester City icon. However, over the course of this season, the once imperious right-back has shown signs of weakness and no longer appears to offer the Sky Blues the same sense of defensive stability.
While losing the team’s club captain midway through the season would be a risk, it appears to be the right time to let Walker move on to pastures new, particularly if they can sell the 34-year-old for a good price, rather than losing him on a free in 18-months time.
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Hide AdMan Utd make £33m U-turn on Ruben Amorim favourite
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is believed to be planning a massive raid on his former club Sporting CP. The Portuguese coach, who left Lisbon in December to succeed Erik ten Hag, had initially claimed that he would not look to target any of his former players from the Portuguese capital in January.
However, a new claim from Maisfutebol understands that Manchester United have submitted a loan offer which includes a £33.6m obligation to buy, to secure the services of defender Goncalo Inacio. The 12-time Portuguese international is just 23-year-old and made 191 career appearances under Amorim at the Estádio José Alvalade.
3AM Verdict: Manchester United are slowly showing signs of settling into Ruben Amorim’s new system and have been much improved defensively in recent matches against Liverpool and Arsenal.
However, they are still in need of further defensive reinforcements if they are to regain a place in the Champions League and establish themselves as one of the top sides in English football once again. Goncalo Inacio, who can also play as a left-back and a defensive midfielder, is comfortable in Amorim’s system, has great distribution, and at 23-years-of-age should still have his best years ahead of him.
He is also blessed with excellent pace and athleticism, which would allow the team to press higher up the pitch. This has the potential to be a shrewd bit of business for the Red Devils.
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