By CHRIS WHEELER, NORTHERN SPORTS WRITER
Published: 06:44 EST, 15 December 2025 | Updated: 06:44 EST, 15 December 2025
Scoring from nearly 50 yards again might be asking too much, but Tyler Adams will have an added incentive to catch the eye when Bournemouth take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Adams’ name has cropped up in conversations over United’s potential midfield targets in the January transfer window or next summer and, at around £40million, he is cheaper than some of the other options like Carlos Baleba, Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton.
No wonder the 26-year-old from New York state is relishing the opportunity to shine on the big stage when he goes up against Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro on his return from a one-match suspension.
‘It's just a special occasion,’ says Adams. ‘This is what you grow up watching, whether you're a fan or not. A fan of Manchester United walking into Old Trafford will change your perspective on everything.
‘I played against Manchester United at Old Trafford during Covid with RB Leipzig. That was the first time I walked into Old Trafford and I was like, my dream is really to play in the Premier League because this is what it's about right here.
‘Now being able to go back and play there multiple times and have good results, especially makes it a little bit better. So yeah, I always get excited to play against United.’
Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams has emerged as a surprising midfield target for Man United
The American No 6 admitted it's a 'dream' play at Old Trafford in the Premier League, even as a visitor
A gifted No.6 who has made more interceptions than any Premier League midfielder this season besides Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, and ranks seventh in the total number of tackles made by any player including defenders, Adams showed another side to his game last month when he scored an incredible goal at Sunderland.
Picking up the ball in his own half, he lobbed goalkeeper Robin Roefs from inside the centre-circle. Not surprisingly, it was voted goal of the month for November.
‘It was one of those blackout moments where you find yourself in a scenario and you think “have a go”,’ adds Adams. ‘I had the confidence to try it and it ended up going in the back of the net.
‘If you asked me to do that with no goalkeeper in the goal, I mean, maybe two out of 10 times you hit it that nicely.
‘It was an exciting moment because adding a little bit more to your game is important. I have challenged myself a little bit to have more of an eye for that.
‘I’m not going to say I’m capable of scoring from 47 yards week in week out, but I am capable of doing more on the offensive end and I want to add that to my game a little bit more without taking away from what I do really well on the defensive side of the ball.
‘Because I've scored a goal that, I'm not a player now going on the field and forgetting my responsibility and my role, do you know what I mean? Just because I scored a goal doesn't mean I'm Justin Kluivert or Antoine (Semenyo). It’s their job to do that.’
Despite the remarkable progress Bournemouth have made under Andoni Iraola, they go into Monday night’s clash with United on the back of a six-game winless run that has brought four defeats.
United's midfield two of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro has come under scrutiny this campaign
Andoni Iraola's Cherries travel to Manchester on the back of a six-game winless run
Adams experienced relegation with Leeds in 2023, but isn’t panicking over Bournemouth’s recent dip in a Premier League season of wild fluctuations.
Speaking to the Men in Blazers Media Network, he says: ‘Literally every single game has been a game of margins; you have some VAR calls, some penalties we’ve given up, some calls that could have gone either way.
‘We find ourselves in a position where we went on an unbeaten run at the beginning of the season and now we’ve been on a winless run through the past six games. It feels deeper than it is, but we know we’re not playing to the level to be winless.
‘That’s the right mentality to have because the games can swing either way and it will swing in our favour if we’re doing the right things on the pitch.
‘I was part of a relegation team and I can tell you the morale of the team means everything. You have to be positive, continue to train hard and do all the right things.’
A key member of the US national team, Adams is looking forward to a big summer as North America stages the World Cup. It could get even bigger if United come calling.