Man Utd ready to accelerate bold £16m striker swoop as Newcastle chase German wonderkid

Erik ten Hag is reportedly ready to reunited with Ajax forward Brian Bobbey as he looks to boost Manchester United’s options at the top end of the pitch.

The once-capped Netherlands international was the subject of interest from his former Ajax manager just weeks after Ten Hag left the Eredivise club to take over at Old Trafford.  Following a difficult spell at RB Leipzig, Brobbey opted to ignore the Red Devils advances and return to the Dutch capital.

Explaining the decision, he said: “Manchester United wanted me, but I really wanted to return to Ajax permanently.  To make this possible, my agent Jose Fortes Rodriguez even waived his hefty resale percentage.  Erik ten Hag called me from Man Utd. My agent could’ve got his millions and I could earn a multiple of my Ajax salary. But our decision was made: we wanted to go to Ajax.”

Despite his side struggling to hit their usual heights, Brobbey has found form during the first half of the season after scoring 13 goals and providing four assists in 25 games in all competitions.  That form has reportedly attracted further attention from Old Trafford and the Mirror have now claimed the 13-time Premier League champions have been asked to sanction a move for the forward by Ten Hag.

The 3AM Verdict: Not for the first time in his Old Trafford reign, Ten Hag is opting to go for the familiar as he looks to revive what has been an under-par season for the Red Devils.  The Dutch boss does need competition for Rasmus Hojlund and surely Brobbey is just one option under consideration.

Magpies interest in Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund target

Newcastle United’s attempts to boost their own ranks have reportedly led the Magpies to scout one of Germany’s most promising strikers.

Nurnberg’s 18-year-old forward Can Uzun has captured the attention of a number of clubs around the Premier League and Europe after scoring 11 goals and providing three assists in 18 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga 2 outfit. Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has claimed Newcastle are amongst the clubs monitoring the progress of the youngster, who scored twice in Nurnberg’s 3-0 home win against Hansa Rostock on Saturday.

He said: “Can Uzun, two more goals for Nürnberg today! 18 year-old striker, incredible talent, key player! Price tag in summer: More than €10m.  Concrete talks with Dortmund took place.  Bayern have inquired about him. He’s a target for Frankfurt. Newcastle have scouted him. He’s also on the list of Fulham, Brighton, Everton, Sevilla, Villarreal.”

The 3AM Verdict: Newcastle’s ongoing battle with Financial Fair Play regulations means big spends are on the back burner unless the Magpies are willing to sell one of their leading lights.  That means they will be looking for the next big thing across world football and that could mean Uzun has come to their attention after impressing during the first half the season.

La Liga club move for Wolves duo

Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera is reportedly the subject of interest from Spain. Spanish outlet AS have claimed Villarreal are aiming to take the Colombian international on loan and hand him an opportunity to test his fortunes in La Liga on the back of a successful loan spell at MLS side FC Cincinnati. 

The 22-year-old made 35 appearances in all competitions during a ten-month stay in the United States but returned to Molineux last month and is now awaiting a decision over his future.  The report also reveals Villarreal and Wolves have already been involved in a deal that could see Portuguese winger Goncalo Guedes join the La Liga club.

The 3AM Verdict: Mosquera is said to be highly-rated at Wolves but needs to test his ability at a higher level than the MLS before behind handed a firm chance to shine at Molineux.