Man Utd are on course for a quiet January transfer window but two players who have attracted interest this month could well leave in the summer.
Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee
Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee are both set to stay at United in January(Image: )
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We are entering the point where Manchester United's January transfer window could have come alive, but after a tumultuous start to 2026, it looks like it will be a quiet January at Old Trafford.
The biggest transfer drama at United so far has been around a player who never did sign for the club. Antoine Semenyo was at Old Trafford on Saturday but in the blue of Manchester City. His signing was seen as a strategic opportunity for United, and when he opted for the Etihad, the £65million earmarked for his release clause went back into the safe.
Three weeks into the window it is a case of nobody in and nobody out. The most likely change there would be a move for Tyrell Malacia, but he was on the bench against City on Saturday and is still waiting for clarity on his future.
The return of Noussair Mazraoui from the Africa Cup of Nations later this week adds another body at full-back, which could mean Malacia seeks a move in the final days of the window. Beyond that, interest in Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee is set to be rejected.
Mazraoui's return means Matthijs de Ligt and Zirkzee are the only first-team squad members currently unavailable. That is a far cry from the start of the month, when resources were stretched to breaking point and Ruben Amorim railed against plans to keep the powder dry this month.
United have always insisted they would only make a move for a player if he was a long-term target, which is why they were interested in Semenyo. None of their priority midfield signings are likely to be available mid-season.
With nobody coming in, nobody is going out either. The change of head coach has secured Kobbie Mainoo's future and Ugarte and Zirkzee are needed to add squad depth.
Neither is in the starting XI at the moment, and their route into the team isn't easy, but with Champions League qualification now a real possibility, United have no desire to leave themselves short of options. So Ugarte and Zirkzee will stay put and might yet have a role to play in the next 16 games.
Ugarte has attracted interest from Ajax and Galatasaray and Roma wanted to sign Zirkzee, yet there is no benefit to United in letting first-team squad members leave on loan at this stage of a competitive season.
But that will only secure their futures in the short term. Ugarte hasn't convinced since signing from Paris St-Germain for £50.5million and could be a victim of the midfield rebuild this season, while Zirkzee doesn't look a natural fit under Carrick and is likely to return to Serie A to try and reignite his career.
Those moves could still happen in the summer, when United will again look to reshape this squad, but for now, the hope is that a quiet January will provide stability to ensure a positive end to the season.
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