Manchester United are now racing Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur to sign a Serie A defender for Ruben Amorim in the January transfer window.
Amorim drops fresh Fernandes injury update
It's been a frantic month for Man United, but also a fairly successful one. They've been far more difficult to beat in the Premier League in the last 12 games, with the exception of claiming their place in Aston Villa's impressive run of victories, and Ruben Amorim is - by his own admission - learning to adapt on the job.
A stubborn Boxing Day win over Newcastle United wasn't the most convincing, but it proved that the Red Devils are capable of picking up three points even when they're not at their best. And they even managed to do so without Bruno Fernandes.
The club captain is currently sidelined with a rare injury and whilst Amorim revealed that he's champing at the bit to return, United will be without their star man against Wolverhampton Wanderers this evening.
The Man United boss revealed: “No chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that.”
“He cannot be that guy that (when he) is not playing, he’s not talking and speaking,” boss Amorim said. “He’s always speaking. That’s why he’s the captain. He has bad things sometimes, the way moves his arms, but he has a lot of good things.
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“Every time he makes recovery from the (previous) game, he is the guy that is going to watch the other guys training in that day, so there is a lot of things that you guys don’t see that he does. He’s a great leader.”
For United, it's now about taking that crucial next step by qualifying for the Champions League and the January transfer window may yet play a crucial part. They've already been linked with the likes of Ruben Neves and are now also reportedly eyeing a fresh defensive target.
Man Utd join race to sign Oumar Solet
As reported by TeamTalk, Man United have now joined the race to sign Oumar Solet from Udinese alongside Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and West Ham United.
oumar-solet-udinese
The 25-year-old centre-back has become a wanted man in the Premier League thanks to his impressive performances in Serie A and could now be on the move in the January transfer window.
For Man United, the Frenchman could become their replacement for Harry Maguire, who is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract at Old Trafford ahead of the expiration of his current deal in the summer.
League stats P90 25/26 Oumar Solet Harry Maguire Leny Yoro
Minutes 1,499 345 1,033
Progressive Passes 1.68 0.53 1.04
Tackles Won 1.32 0.26 0.87
Ball Recoveries 5.39 3.42 4.09
Solet has impressed all round. In possession, he's outperformed both Maguire and young Leny Yoro, whilst also dominating out of possession. His ability to recover the ball is particularly worth noting compared to the Man United duo, with his aggression likely to be a key trait if the Red Devils make their move.