Man Utd ‘pushing hard’ for striker as Rio Ferdinand makes Bruno Fernandes claim

Manchester United are back in action on Thursday night as they look to wrap up the top four race.

Erik ten Hag’s men took another big step towards securing a Champions League spot with a narrow win over Aston Villa over the weekend, and they are now seven points ahead of Liverpool in fifth. They can extend that lead to 10 points should they win their game in hand against Brighton on Thursday evening, but the Seagulls have been a tricky obstacle for most this season, and they are still fighting for Europa League football.

In the meantime, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding Old Trafford.

Muani interest

United are being tipped to make a move for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Kolo Muani despite links with Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen.

“United are pushing hard. They are on him,” Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenburg has said. “This is the club that is currently the most interested – even more than Bayern. At United, Kolo Muani is ranked higher than Victor Osimhen.”

Muani has scored 13 goals in 28 league appearances for Frankfurt, while he has also made seven senior appearances for France, scoring once.

Rio’s Bruno claim

Rio Ferdinand believes Bruno Fernandes will get the captaincy should Harry Maguire leave Old Trafford this summer.

“We deserved to win the game. Did you see Bruno’s numbers? Wow,” he said on his Vibe with Five Podcast. “The guy - it’s remarkable what he is doing. If he was at Arsenal he’d probably have a statue now at the Emirates with the numbers he has done!

“Does Bruno take the captaincy next year? 100 per cent... I think he does. Since Bruno signed, he has been the most impactful player we have had. He’s wearing the armband while Maguire doesn’t play. I think it is a natural progression for him to be captain next season.”