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Ousmane Dembele has told been told by Barcelona that he needs to leave the Spanish club, and this has reportedly drawn the interest of United.
But as one creative midfielder could be coming through the door, another could be leaving as Newcastle United are set to return for Jesse Lingard on deadline day.
And finally, Leeds are aware of the interest in their talisman Kalvin Phillips but are reluctant to sell to Manchester United.
Dembele linked with Old Trafford switch
Dembele was signed for Barcelona for big money, but it hasn't quite worked out for the French winger, and with his contract expiring in the summer, it seems his time at the Spanish club is coming to an end.
Foot Mercato is reporting that United have reached out to the player's representatives to try and sound out whether he would be open to a move to Old Trafford amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
According to Samuel Luckhurst, the links to Dembele are mainly the player trying to drum up interest, and United have not bid for him.
My view: United have had a creativity problem in recent weeks with Bruno Fernandes taking most of the workload. Paul Pogba coming back from injury will help this, but it never hurts to have a bit more. If United can come to a reasonable deal for the player, then maybe, but it seems unlikely with only a day of the January window left.
Newcastle to return for Lingard
The Athletic are reporting that Newcastle may come back in for Lingard after receiving assurances that the deal including the £12 million safety clause is negotiable. The report also states that Lingard will meet with Ralf Rangnick this morning and make a final push on his side to make a move happen.
Lingard only has six months remaining on his contract and has received limited minutes this season.
My view: With the departure of Donny van de Beek to Everton and a lack of depth on the wings, if Lingard were to stay, he would likely receive more playing time than he has so far this season.
If he doesn't have assurances, you can understand why he would want to leave, and United should look to strike the best deal possible with Newcastle.
Leeds reluctant to sell Phillips
According to reports in the Evening Standard, Leeds United are aware of interest in their star asset Phillips. The report also states that West Ham United have had a bid of around £50 million turned down for the midfielder, and Liverpool are also interested.
Phillips has been injured this season, and during this time, Leeds have fallen to 15th in the table and are just a few points above the relegation zone.
Our view: Phillips is not the profile of midfielder that United should be looking at, but what the club should take from this report is that West Ham seems to be lining up their replacement for Declan Rice, who United have been heavily linked with.
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