Man Utd 'willing' to pay £130m for La Liga superstar as Rio Ferdinand tips intriguing January move

Manchester United will enjoy a rare weekend without football this week as with Premier League introducing a brief winter break. Erik ten Hag's side drew 2-2 against Tottenham on Sunday as one of 10 teams to play, with the other 10 in action this weekend ahead of the FA Cup fourth round at the end of the month.

First-team players will take the chance to rest and recover but for those working behind the scenes on transfers, there is no such break in January. United are expecting a quiet month but remain on their toes and ManchesterWorld has rounded up some of the latest headlines.

Mega-money interest

United are reportedly willing to pay €150million (around £130m) this summer to secure a sensational move for Vinicius Jr. Spanish outlet Sport reports that there is interest from Old Trafford and Real Madrid could be willing to talk.

The goal for Madrid is to have Kylian Mbappe at the Bernabeu but money is not infinite in the Spanish capital and Los Blancos could be forced to sell in order to afford the French striker. It is this surprise position that has reportedly alerted United, who sense an opportunity to sign one of the world's best wingers.

In normal circumstances, Madrid would have no intention of selling Vinicius but they have been obsessed with Mbappe for years and offloading their current left-winger would open up that space. United have been admirers of Vinicius ever since his Flamengo days and scouted him in 2017 before he moved to Spain.

Benzema move tipped

Rio Ferdinand believes Rasmus Hojlund would benefit massively from having someone like Karim Benzema at United. Reports have linked Ten Hag's side with a surprise move for the Frenchman.

The 36-year-old has built up vast experience in Europe, winning it all in a 14-year spell at Madrid before moving to Al-Ittihad. A deal that would see him at United seems unlikely but Ferdinand has suggested that kind of expertise would be brilliant for the young Hojlund.

"Listen, Benzema... how can you say no? How can you say no to that signing? One thing I would say, one person who needs that more than anyone else around right now Rasmus Hojlund," Ferdinand told his FIVE YouTube channel. "Hojlund needs that somebody to look and learn from."