‘Contact’ made as Man Utd target ‘loses faith’ in manager, Ten Hag ‘obsessed’ with Man City-linked star

Manchester United head into a mouth-watering clash against fellow Premier League high-flyers Chelsea this weekend off the back of superb display against Tottenham Hotspur in midweek. The Red Devils put in an impressive display at Old Trafford to dispath of Antonio Conte’s side, and now sit just one point outside of the top four.

A victory over the Blues on Saturday evening would see Erik ten Hag’s side leapfrog their opponents into a Champions League spot, but doing so will be no easy task. Chelsea have dropped just two points since Graham Potter took over at Stamford Bridge last month.

Before that showdown, however, there is still plenty of transfer speculation to get through. Check out Friday’s United-related gossip below...

Felix in demand

United are one of three clubs competing for the signature of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, according to a fresh report from Sport. The Portuguese international is enduring a torrid time of things in the Spanish capital, and could leave his current employers in the relatively near future.

Felix has fallen down the pecking order for Atletico, and is said to have “lost all faith” in manager Diego Simeone after being benched for the recent 0-0 stalemate against Club Brugge, as per Marca, via TEAMtalk. As such, an exit is being touted for the 22-year-old, with the Red Devils one of a number of clubs keeping tabs on his situation as it progresses.

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on acquiring his services, with the latter having reportedly already made “contact” ahead of a potential move. Indeed, while it is suggested that a summer sale would be preferable for Atletico, Sport also make it clear that a January transfer “cannot be ruled out”.

Ten Hag wants Bastoni

According to Fichajes, United manager Erik ten Hag is interested in signing Alessandro Bastoni from Inter Milan. The 23-year-old has impressed for the Italian side of late, and has featured 12 times across all competitions already this season.

A 16-cap Italy international too, it is claimed that the defender’s performances “give the feeling of needing a club with higher aspirations”, with the Red Devils identified as one such option. It is understood that he is admired at Old Trafford, and especially by new boss Ten Hag.

It is claimed that the Dutchman has “asked” club chiefs “for an effort” to sign the centre-back, who is said to be a “great obsession” of his. The path to a deal might not be entirely straightforward, however. Bastoni’s current deal in Italy does not expire until 2024, while Manchester City and Real Madrid are also monitoring his progress. Moreover, United would almost certainly have to offload some of their current defensive deadwood before approaching any kind of agreement.