Manchester United have tabled a bid worth £24.4m to sign Olympiacos star Christos Mouzakitis, according to Sportime Greece.
The Red Devils are in the market for a new central midfielder in 2026 amid question marks over the future of all four of their current options, with top targets being named as Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba.
However, it has now emerged that they are not the only midfield players being eyed by Ruben Amorim's side and that INEOS have in fact tabled a formal offer to bring in a young talent.
Man Utd Table £24m Bid for Mouzakitis
Mouzakitis
Mouzakitis, who has been described as a 'little Iniesta', has become a key member of the Olympiacos team over the last 12 months with a string of incredible performances.
In fact, he shone while featuring for the Greek outfit against Real Madrid in the Champions League last month and that is said to have caught the attention of a number of top lubs across Europe, including Madrid and Manchester United.
INEOS are keen to bring in the best young talent from around the world to the club, and according to a report from Greece, United have tabled a bid worth €28m (£24.4m) to bring the 18-year-old to Old Trafford in January. Real Madrid have also tabled an offer, which is slightly higher than Man Utd's, but both bids are falling below Olympiacos' value for their star talent.
The Super League club value Mouzakitis at €40m (£35m) to allow him to leave in January, but they are aware that neither club look likely to go up that high. However, they are also not willing to even start negotiations at below €30m (£26.3m), and therefore a deal isn't believed to be close.
Man Utd Need a New Midfield
Manchester United's Casemiro in action against Everton.
Amorim's current first-choice midfield at Man Utd is Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, but both players are in their thirties now and on huge wages. Casemiro is expected to leave if he doesn't agree a pay cut on any new contract, with his deal set to expire in the summer, while Fernandes has lots of interest from Saudi Arabia.
Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte could also both be on the move in 2026, with neither player featuring regularly under this manager, and that could see a number of new midfielders joining in the new year.
Anderson, Baleba and Wharton are all top targets, and reports suggest United would be willing to break their transfer record to bring one of them in, but a move for Mouzakitis could well be on the cards alongside that.
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