THE transfer window shuts TODAY – and Manchester United remain active in the market.
Jules Kounde is reportedly their top summer target, while Sergio Ramos and Ousmane Dembele have been linked for dramatic late moves.
Meanwhile youngster Facundo Pellistri has been loaned out to Deportivo Alaves for the rest of the season in order to gain some more experience.
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Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
- Craig Mahood
ODION MOVE
Odion Ighalo is reportedly set to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab after leaving Old Trafford.
The Nigerian, 31, spent a year on loan at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side from Shanghai Shenhua but his deal came to an end last week.
And Sky Sports reports the ex-Watford forward has agreed a permanent move to Al-Shabab.
Ighalo had to take a pay cut to make his dream move to United as he was reeling in an eye-watering £300,000 a week in China.
At United, he collected £180,000 and he should be in for another good pay day in the Middle East as Barcelona legend Xavi received in the region of £160,000 a week at Saudi side Al-Sadd – where he is now the boss.
Ighalo had been due to return to China but he has been given dispensation to speak to the Saudi side.
- Craig Mahood
MIDDAY UPDATE
In case you missed it, everything happening around Old Trafford on deadline day
- Sergio Ramos wants to force move to Man Utd
- Jules Kounde much sought after with United favourites to land £60million defender
- Ex-target Perisic not on the move as he and Christian Eriksen to stay at Inter Milan
- Ousmane Dembele lined up for United and Chelsea IF new Barca deal not complete – but his desire is to STAY at Camp Nou
- Solskjaer happy with squad and not anticipating incomings – but Rojo, Jones and Romero linked with moves away
ERIKSEN A NO-GO
Christian Eriken will NOT be leaving Inter Milan this window, nor will ex-United target Ivan Perisic.
A return to the Premier League looked likely for Eriksen with a lack of game-time under Antonio Conte.
Perisic was linked with a move to Everton this morning too but Fabrizio Romano confirmed no player will leave Inter today.
- Craig Mahood
THE CREATOR
And as well as his goals, it is his chances created which have been impressive for Bruno Fernandes.
Sitting just behind Jack Grealish in the total chances orchestrated.
What if they played together….
- Craig Mahood
ABSOLUTE HONOUR
Bruno Fernandes marked his year as a United player with a highlights reel and claimed it was the "first of many years together."
He signed in the last January window and proved that clever business can be done in the winter window.
His Instagram post read: "It's an absolute honour to play football with the Man Utd badge on my chest.
"I want to thank all the fans for your outstanding support. Hopefully this was only the first of many years together."
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A post shared by Bruno Fernandes (@brunofernandes.10)
- Craig Mahood
PHIL YER BOOTS
Another centre-back struggling for minutes, Jones looks to have no role in Solskjaer’s plans.
Burnley are known to be big fans, with Sean Dyche eyeing Jones as a potential replacement for James Tarkowski.
Leicester and West Ham have also been linked, but United may need to pay the best part of his £130,000-a-week wages for a deal to go through.
Could that be a move forced through today?
- Craig Mahood
QUIET ONE
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is happy with his squad as we enter the final 12 hours of the transfer window.
- Craig Mahood
REGRETS
Roy Keane has said the dropped points by United in the last week will come back to haunt them and could prove costly in the league pursuit.
Solskjaers side went down 2-1 at home to bottom-side Sheffield United at Old Trafford and followed it up with a goalless draw at the Emirates.
And Keane believes the Gunners were there for the taking.
This Arsenal team are eighth in the league and they were missing three of their best players.
Man Utd and Ole afterwards are going, 'ah, we take the draw'. Too many draws when a team is there for the taking doesn't win you the big prizes.
At the end of the season, when you look back, those four or five points we lost in those three or four days: huge.
It really takes its toll at the end of the season when you reflect. At the moment you might try to pretend it's not that important but it is vitally important – especially when they're there for the taking.Roy KeaneSky Sports
- Craig Mahood
CROWN JULES
Manchester United are now favourites to sign Jules Kounde.
Jules Kounde next club – Betfair
Latest odds
Manchester United – 3/1
Real Madrid – 4/1
Paris Saint-Germain – 6/1
Barcelona – 6/1
Liverpool – 8/1
Manchester City – 12/1
- Craig Mahood
OGS SPEAKS
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will speak to the press this lunchtime and we might get more understanding of any ins and outs at Old Trafford today.
Alongside his thoughts on the weekend's draw with Arsenal and previewing the midweek Southampton clash, OGS will be asked about Rojo, Jones and Romero and any other potential business.
We'll bring you the information here.
- Craig Mahood
BECKS CHAT
A chat with David Beckham appears to have swung Sergio Ramos to want a move to Man United.
He heard all about life at Old Trafford through former team-mate Beckham when the pair played together at Real Madrid.
Ramos is said to have rejected lucrative move to Asia because his family don't want to live there.
Manchester City and Liverpool could both afford Ramos' wages but such a transfer is believed to be 'very difficult'.
- Craig Mahood
PERI SPICE
Ex-Manchester United target Ivan Perisic is set for a move to Everton. According to reports.
Brazilian winger Bernardo edges closer to a move away having failed to impress Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison.
Perisic started in Inter Milan’s 4-0 win against Benevento but isn’t a guaranteed starter.
And Football Insider say the Toffees are trying to engineer a move for the Croatian today.
- Craig Mahood
ICYMI
Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly set to get rid of three outcasts in order to make room for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde.
The Norwegian is expected to offload Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero, according to The Mirror.
Kounde could cost as much as £60million this summer, but Juventus, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also said to be interested.
- Craig Mahood
ROJO GO
United’s misfit defender Marcos Rojo is yet to make a single appearance this season.
And now Rojo, 30, has reportedly struck terms on a two-year deal with Argentina giants Boca Juniors.
United are said to be on the verge of TERMINATING Rojo’s contract in order to complete the move before the deadline.
- Craig Mahood
DEADLINE DAYOT
Dayot Upamecano agent has confirmed the sought-after centre-back is deciding on his future with two top Premier League clubs vying for the RB Leipzig star.
Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked with the highly-rated 22-year-old but the Premier League sides will face competition from Bayern Munich.
Upamecano has a current contract until 2023 at the German side but the player's representative Volker Struth confirmed he has a £38million release clause – something that is likely to be triggered this summer.
Speaking to Sport1, he said: "The release clause was agreed because the player decided to want to take the next step at some point. It is very likely in the summer.
"Nothing final has been decided yet. The tendency for him to leave the club in the summer is high.
"The release clause is £38m. That is an insane sum in coronavirus times.
"In summer 2019 it was something else. The proportions of the transfer fees have changed. I believe that some clubs have to say goodbye to the market values when they sell players.
"[Apart from the Bundesliga] only the English league is in consideration. The Spanish clubs that were eligible are currently financially unable to do so.
"It's no secret that there are two interested parties from the Premier League. A decision will be made and announced in the next few weeks."
- Craig Mahood
MANE MAN
Chelsea and Manchester United have both been dealt a transfer blow with Ousmane Dembele reportedly staying put at Barcelona.
Sport claims the Frenchman has no intention of swapping Spain for England on deadline day.
Dembele, 23, has scored six times in 21 games under Ronald Koeman.
And after finding a new lease of life in the Dutchman’s system, Dembele is said to be enjoying playing for Barcelona again.
That means suitors United and Chelsea will have to wait until the summer to make a move, with Juventus also keeping tabs.
Dembele’s contract expires in 2022 and Barcelona could be forced into selling if the winger decides he wants a new challenge.
- Craig Mahood
LATE SERGE
Sergio Ramos is no stranger to a transfer rumour.
But this time it could be on as the Madrid skipper now WANTS to move to United.
PSG have been linked with a move for the 34-year-old who is out of contract in the summer.
But reports claim that Ramos would push for a move to Old Trafford in the summer.
Bayern had also been linked with Ramos but Munich director Oliver Kahn has confirmed that the German champions won’t try to sign Ramos as David Alaba’s replacement.
Kahn told Sky 90: “We have to think about who could be an adequate replacement for David.
“As a player, I’d love to have played with Ramos, but there’s nothing in [him coming to Bayern].”
Would be a good fit with Harry Maguire?
- Craig Mahood
CHRIST STAYING
Premier League clubs are set to miss out on Christian Eriksen this deadline day.
Inter Milan chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has added his voice to the growing sentiment of keeping the Dane.
Antonio Conte revealed last week how he wanted Eriksen to stay despite a floundering first 12 months in Milan.
And Marotta has insisted that Eriksen does not want to leave the Serie A giants.
He told DAZN: "As Antonio Conte said, if there are some players who are unhappy and want to find other clubs, it's not right to withhold them.
"We do not have any of those situations.
"Therefore, this is the squad we will have at our disposal until the end of the season.
"When you're in a big club, there are no starting players or deputies. There are just professionals who must answer to the coach and his decisions.
"A player can play less than one of his team-mates but still manage to be more influential.
"Over the course of the campaign, Eriksen too can have an important role in the team, whether he plays more or less."
- Craig Mahood
SHUT OUT
It must be one of the first transfer windows in a while where David de Gea hasn't been linked with a move away.
He remains United no1 despite pressure from Dean Henderson and kept his 150th clean sheet in between the sticks for the Red Devils.
- Craig Mahood
BUSY FEB
Have United got the strength and depth to tackle a hectic February schedule?
- Craig Mahood
WILL BE STAYING
Brandon William will NOT be leaving Old Trafford on loan, Solskjaer has confirmed.
Williams played for the u23's at the weekend in their 6-3 win against Liverpool and has found game-time hard to come by, with Wan-Bissaka, Shaw and Telles all ahead in the pecking order.
OGS said:
“Brandon will stay
.“He played for the 23s against Liverpool for some match fitness.
”He's been working really hard and we don't have any more players that we feel will be going.
“Brandon has been really good lately, working really hard in the last few months and he's ready when the chance comes.”
- Craig Mahood
MONEY MONEY
Not sure we'll get anyone breaking into these figures today.
But never say never…
- Craig Mahood
ONE YEAR ON
Last year, they left it late to announce a midfielder – how has he done?
Bruno Fernandes joined United in January last year for £55million and it's fair to say he's done not too bad.
19 goals and 14 assists in 35 Premier League appearances for the Portuguese – as well as four Player of the Month awards.
And they say you can't get a good deal in January!?
- Craig Mahood
PREFERABLE
Sergio Ramos would prefer a move to United over rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.
Ramos is continually linked with a move away from Real Madrid and has used his leverage to earn bigger contracts at the Bernabeu.
But the 34-year-old would presumably need to move soon if ever at all to test himself abroad.
And The Mirror say the Spanish skipper wants to move to Old Trafford over any Premier League side or PSG.
- supal
GOOD MORNING MAN UTD FANS
Welcome to transfer deadline day!
What would we like to see today, Red Devils?
Well we're expecting a quiet one in Manchester to be honest.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's seems to be happy with his squad to get through to the end of the season.
The most we've seen from Man Utd this window has been Jesse Lingard leaving on loan for West Ham.
But still, there's plenty of football coming up especially with Man Utd in the Europa League so don't be surprised if there's a bit of late action.
We'll have you covered all the way through until 11pm.
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