Manchester United take on Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday against the backdrop of what could be a very busy end to the January transfer window.
United boss Ruben Amorim was staring at another defeat on Sunday after a 3-1 deficit to Brighton left his team comfortably in the bottom half of the Premier League. He has suggested he made a mistake with post-match comments describing the team as the worst in United's history, but that does not hide the need for reinforcements.
Left full-back appears to be the position with the most pressing need, with a number of players linked together. Lecce's Patrick Dorgu appears to be top of the list, while Nuno Mendes is now eyeing to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
There could also be a number of exits before the window closes, with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho both available for the right price. Here are the latest rules from Mirror Football from Old Trafford.
According to Sky Sports, Marcus Rashford's representatives met with Barcelona on Tuesday. The Catalan club appear to be Rashford's preference, although other clubs are also in the mix.
The England international is not Barca's first choice, according to reports in Spain, but could ultimately be a more realistic option than their main targets. Those targets are said to include Premier League duo Alexander Isak and Luis Diaz, as well as Serie A hotshot Rafa Leao.
However, Barcelona did not find it that difficult to score goals on Tuesday. They came from behind to beat Benfica 5-4, cementing their status as top scorers in the Champions League.
Manchester United have three Premier League players in their sights as they explore their left-back options, according to The i. Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez, Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri and Crystal Palace's Tyrick Mitchell are all on their radar, although it remains to be seen if any will be available in January.
Lecce star Patrick Dorgu is thought to remain their top target, but an initial offer failed to materialise. However, United could still return for the Denmark international before the window closes.
If United want Kerkez, they could still face competition from Liverpool. The Merseyside club, who are thought to want a longer-term successor to Andy Robertson, have also been less heavily linked with Algeria international Ait-Nouri.
One man who is unlikely to solve this left-wing problem is Alvaro Carreras. The Spanish youngster left United for Benfica in July after a successful loan, which included a buy-back clause, but has no plans to leave Estadio da Luz.
“No. Actually you never know, but I have a contract for many years here at Benfica, I am happy,” Carreras told DAZN (via Sport Witness) after Benfica's loss to Barcelona. “They gave me the opportunity to to grow, and I owe everything to them.”
Carreras scored three goals and four assists in thirty games for Benfica this season. He is under contract with the Portuguese club until the summer of 2029.
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