Manchester United have now reportedly joined the race to sign a £30m midfielder, who new boss Michael Carrick is personally a big fan of.
Man Utd "cannot" consider Carrick long-term, says Neville
It's all change at Old Trafford in what will be a familiar feeling for many around the club. This time, it's Carrick who has returned to take his go in the hot-seat, taking over from Ruben Amorim on an interim basis until the end of the season.
He will be hoping to repeat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's success as interim boss and then receive the opportunity to take the job full-time. Former Man United teammate Gary Neville has claimed that the Red Devils simply cannot consider making such a move, however.
He told the Stick to Football podcast: "I hope Michael does really well. We could be sat here at the end of the season with the fans up, with the team fifth in the table and back in the Champions League spots, and we could all be getting swayed with it.
England manager Thomas Tuchel celebrates after the match Related
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He's enjoyed an impressive season.
"But there cannot be any consideration that Michael takes the job beyond the end of this season, for the sake of Michael and the club, even if he wins every single game."
He then continued, having his say on the Groundhog Day taking place at the club: "We've been there before with Ole, with Giggsy [Ryan Giggs] when David Moyes was sacked. We've seen this movie before.
"I don't think there was any other option for the club right now. Most United fans will agree with the decision to get to the end of the season because of the managers who are becoming available. But if they weren't to get the manager in the summer, there will be massive pressure."
With names like Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Tuchel already on United's radar, their decision to wait until the summer should prove worthwhile. But that will leave Carrick in charge for the January transfer window and he's already got his eye on one potential addition.
Man Utd racing to sign Hayden Hackney
As reported by TeamTalk, Man United are now racing to sign Hayden Hackney with Carrick's backing this month.
The new manager, of course, already knows the Middlesbrough man well from their time together at the club, in which Hackney progressed into one of Boro's most important players. Now, the interim Man United boss has set his sights on an instant reunion with a player he's a big fan of.
hayden-hackney-middlesbrough
Valued at £30m, the deal wouldn't exactly break the bank, either, all whilst reinforcing a midfield which has been below par since the start of the season.
League stats P90 25/26 Hayden Hackney Manuel Ugarte
Minutes 2,270 727
Progressive Passes 7.94 4.81
Tackles Won 1.31 2.84
Ball Recoveries 5.79 5.43
Compared to Ugarte in possession, 23-year-old Hackney would be a breath of fresh air at Old Trafford. He progresses play to an incredibly high standard and matches Ugarte's work-rate off the ball as a complete midfielder.
Dubbed "excellent" by former Boro boss Rob Edwards, Hackney is more than ready for the Premier League.