We look at the latest Manchester United news ahead of their return to action against Everton
Manchester United's Portuguese head coach Ruben Amorim gestures during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England
Ruben Amorim's Manchester United are in a good run of form(Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
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Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United are back in action on Monday night following the international break. The Red Devils host Everton in a crucial fixture at a potential turning point in their season.
Having struggled initially with consistency, best exemplified by a shock defeat in the Carabao Cup by Grimsby Town, Amorim's men have since recovered. They are currently enjoying a five-match unbeaten run for the first time since the Portuguese took over - and a win against the Toffees could put them in the Champions League places.
Yet, Amorim has shown in his 12 months in charge that he is a pragmatist and will no doubt have one eye on the upcoming January transfer window, where he will look to boost his side’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Central midfield and the left wing position are considered key areas in this regard.
Mateta and Palace hold crunch talks
Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta reacts after a goal during the FA Community Shield final soccer match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium in London,Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025.
Jean-Philippe Mateta was linked to Manchester United earlier this year
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Crystal Palace and Jean-Philippe Mateta have held talks over a contract extension at Selhurst Park. The France international was one of the names linked with a potential switch to Old Trafford in the summer, prior to Benjamin Sesko's £74m transfer.
United, who were said to be in talks with Mateta's representatives earlier this year, recently suffered an injury blow with Sesko ruled out for several weeks. Despite the short-term nature of the Slovenian's injury, Amorim is said to be interested in bringing in an additional striker.
That could see United return for the 28-year-old Mateta, who has 18 months left on his deal in south London. It was previously reported that the Eagles were looking for a bid in the region of £40m to part ways with their striker, who has scored 16 and 14 goals in each of the previous two seasons.
Last month, Mateta was quizzed on whether he would like to join an 'elite' club. He told RMC Sport: "It's natural, every ambitious player wants to reach that milestone. Especially when you arrive in the national team and around you, there are only players who play in the Champions League, who win the biggest trophies. When you play surrounded by the best players in the world, naturally you want to reach that milestone."
Mainoo's silver lining
Despite having enjoyed a breakthrough 2023/24 season with his boyhood club, Kobbie Mainoo's future at United is under threat. Amorim has repeatedly picked Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte to form his midfield pairing this season ahead of the 20-year-old, who is yet to start a league game this campaign.
Mainoo's appearances have been limited to just seven league outings off the bench, having been linked with a departure late in the last summer transfer window. And while many United fans will not want to lose their beloved talent, there may be a silver lining if they decide to part ways in January or next summer.
That's because they can use the "pure profit" from a Mainoo sale to boost their financial position amid a £1billion debt. Football finance expert Dr Dan Plumley told Football Insider: "I don’t think PSR will be their sole focus. I think it’d be a happy coincidence, if you will.
Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United looks on
Kobbie Mainoo is frustrated with his lack of game time under Amorim
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"We saw this in the summer with PSR and Manchester United. We saw a lot of people were looking at the wrong company. It’s a company called Red Football, which is where the PSR calculation sits.
"So, despite the fact that we’ve seen they’ve had, well, they’ve told us, they’ve had financial problems and plenty of media reports on that, the outlay that they spent in the summer, people were kind of scratching their heads, but they’re okay with PSR ultimately.
"If this were to go through, I think PSR is probably not the sole driver. Of course, it does benefit Manchester United in that sense as well, because you can book that as pure profit and you can book it in the year that it occurs."