Manchester United are keen to strengthen at every given opportunity and may now find themselves ahead in the race to sign one of England’s rising stars.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim keen to steady ship
Ruben Amorim is under pressure at Old Trafford and needs to strike together a run of results in order to avoid further scrutiny from external sources, albeit speculation is continuing to mount over his future.
Despite claims that the Portuguese boss could change his formation for coming fixtures, Dean Jones has claimed Amorim may instead look to alter personnel in an attempt to improve performances at Old Trafford.
He said: “I have spoken to connections close to the club, and there seems to be an expectation that this time, something does change. Realistically, it probably will not be the system.
“Because they have worked so tirelessly on his formation, he will probably roll it out again – but one thing he can do this time is change the personnel. This is the area that people seem to feel is most likely to change.”
Steve Parish is working tirelessly to stop Oliver Glasner making a future move to Old Trafford. The Crystal Palace boss would likely be a key contender if the role became vacant, but Amorim is still the man charged with turning around their Premier League fortunes.
Ultimately, the problems Manchester United have faced in recent years are far deeper than who is in the dugout, though the expectation on the manager is always a major talking point.
Either way, player recruitment is always on the agenda at the global giants and the Red Devils could have the advantage in the race for a player who could ignite their season.
Manchester United looking to win Hayden Hackney race
According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United are ahead of Fulham in the race to sign Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney, and they may look to formalise their interest in the England Under-21 international come 2026.
Tottenham Hotspur are also watching with intent and will have been impressed with what they’ve witnessed, given his return off a goal and two assists in nine appearances across all competitions.
Hayden Hackney in 2025/26 – Sky Bet Championship
Chances created
15
Successful passes
388
Successful crosses
4
Completed dribbles
9
Duels won
36
All statistics courtesy of Fotmob*
Labelled “outstanding” by pundit Neil Maddison, the Three Lions youth international is out of contract in the summer of 2027, and it remains to be seen if Boro are tempted to cash in come January or whether he will stay for their promotion push under Rob Edwards.
Manchester United made an approach for Carlos Baleba during the summer, illustrating their appetite to strengthen the engine room, and it appears that INEOS have their eyes fixed on some form of midfield reinforcement come the January window.
