Man Utd set deadline for possible £70m exit as Arsenal ‘prepare’ second striker bid ahead of Man City

Manchester City secured their place in the top 24 of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over Belgian side Club Brugge on Wednesday night. Pep Guardiola’s side will now face a two-legged play-off clash in mid-February to fight for a spot in the round of 16.

Brugge took a shock lead through Raphael Onyedika after 40 minutes and had other chances to score again but could not take them as City roared back in the second half. Mateo Kovacic levelled matters before a Joel Ordonez own goal just after the hour turned the game for the home side. Savinho settled nerves as he fired home on 77 minutes.

On Thursday night, Manchester United face FCSB in Romania on Thursday as they seek to seal their spot in the top eight of the Europa League and avoid a play-off for the round of 16. The Red Devils are fourth ahead of the final round of fixtures, two points ahead of Galatasaray in ninth.

Man Utd set deadline for Garnacho deal

Ahead of their Europa League clash on Tuesday, the Red Devils have reportedly given Napoli and Chelsea until Friday night to meet their demands for Alejandro Garnacho. That is according to to Give Me Sport, who report that United have put a £70m asking price on Garnacho’s head.

The transfer window closes on Monday at 11pm and the Red Devils do not want to be in a last-minute scramble to replace Garnacho so are only willing to do business well ahead of the deadline as they seek suitable replacements. United have limited funds as they seek to remain on the right side of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. Garnacho’s departure would be classed as pure profit when accounting for PSR as he came through the club’s academy.

In a recent press conference, Ruben Amorim said on the forward’s future: "Nobody knows. Anything can happen. He is improving in every department of the game, how he recovers, understanding the game when he defends. I am trying to find the best position for him. I don't know what is going to happen.”

Arsenal make striker bid ahead of City clash

After their win over Brugge, City are now preparing for a crunch Premier League clash at Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. The sides drew 2-2 in September in a game that saw Rodri pick up a serious ACL injury. John Stones scored a 98th-minute equaliser as the Gunners played half the game with 10 men after Leandro Trossard was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away.

Ahead of the clash between last season’s title rivals, Arsenal have reportedly seen a bid of £60m rejected by Aston Villa for striker Ollie Watkins. That is according to the Daily Mail, who report an improved bid is expected to land before Monday’s deadline. The North London club would need to move fast to secure a deal in time for the fixture with City. Any signings must be registered by 12pm on the final working day before a game. So for any matches taking place on Saturday or Sunday, players must be registered by 12pm on Friday.