Man Utd in transfer tussle with Arsenal for 169-goal elite striker as talks held for shock midfield signing

Manchester United are reportedly ready to rival Arsenal in the race to sign an elite striker who has been tipped for a move to the Premier League for a number of years, while a shock midfield raid on Chelsea has taken a step forward.

Despite spending fortunes on their forward line over the summer, bringing in the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, it appears that United are done when looking to add to their firepower.

Landing a new No.9 is very much on Man Utd ‘s radar, despite Sesko really coming good in the back half of the season and scoring seven goals in his last nine outings.

Fresh reports claim that the Red Devils are ready to join the fight to sign Galatasaray frontman Victor Osimhen, who still has desire to play in England’s top flight.

According to a report from SportsBoom , United and Arsenal are both keen on the 27-year-old’s signature, with the Premier League duo set to be involved in a multi-club battle to sign the Nigeria international.

After falling out with Napoli, Osimhen ended up moving to Istanbul after an initial loan stint and has been in electric form this season, scoring 18 goals in 27 games in all competitions.

His impressive performances have once again seen him emerge on the radars of some of Europe’s top clubs, with Bayern Munich considering Osimhen as a long-term Harry Kane replacement.

And, while the German giants are said to be gearing up to make their move for the player, the report adds that United and Arsenal are ready to act on the Nigerian’s desire to play in England.

Mikel Arteta is said to view Osimhen as the final piece of his Gunners puzzle , while Red Devils transfer chiefs want stronger competition through the middle, despite Sesko’s massive upturn in form.

However, the Galatasaray star will not come cheap, especially given that he remains under contract until 2029.

Indeed, the Turkish outfit have no intentions of selling their prolific No.9 and would only do so for a figure between €120-140million (£104-112m).

A trusted source has confirmed Manchester United have held talks with Chelsea over a shock Stamford Bridge raid, with the Red Devils now favourites to seal a deal.

While United continue to be linked with a stunning Cole Palmer swoop, given the player’s desire to return to Manchester and play for the club he’s supported from being a young boy, it’s another Blues star who is also on their radar.

Central midfielder Andrey Santos is the player in question, with trusted reporter Ben Jacobs recently confirming Man Utd and Chelsea held talks over Santos’ transfer during the negotiations that took Alejandro Garnacho to the capital last summer.

United are expected to sign at least one, if not two, midfielders this summer and continue to be linked with the likes of higher-profile stars Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba.

However, Santos is considered an easier deal to pull off than trying to get the trio mentioned above out of Nott’m Forest, Crystal Palace and Brighton respectively.

And according to the latest from Brazilian outlet, NTVASCAINOS , Man Utd can now be considered frontrunners for Santos.

The outlet were reporting on the matter partly because Santos is Brazilian, put also because they specialise in covering the midfielder’s boyhood club, Vasco da Gama.

The Brazilian side are reportedly watching on with intent and will secretly hope Santos does change clubs given they’ll be due 2.5 percent of the total transfer fee.

Santos has made 35 appearances for Chelsea this term, though the majority of those – especially in the Premier League and Champions League – weren’t starts.

TEAMtalk can reveal that United have indicated internally that Michael Carrick is firmly in contention to become the club’s next permanent head coach, although the Old Trafford hierarchy remain determined that any appointment will only be made after a full and exhaustive search.

Carrick has overseen six wins in eight games since being put in interim charge until the end of the season, revitalising the performances as well as results as United now sit firmly in the mix for a Champions League qualification spot.

Despite that impressive run, the club’s leadership group are sill taking a measured approach to naming their next permanent appointment.

To that end, sources have confirmed to us that director of football Jason Wilcox has made it clear to ownership, players, supporters and Carrick himself that the next permanent appointment will only be made once a thorough process has been completed.

Wilcox is leading the search, working closely with United CEO Omar Berrada and head of recruitment Christopher Vivell.

Our transfer insider Graeme Bailey has spoken with sources inside Old Trafford to assess Carrick’s current standing, along with the likelihood of him landing the permanent role.

“United love Michael Carrick, they are really, really excited by him and what he has done,” Bailey revealed.

“But they don’t want to get carried away, just as many accused them of doing with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

“But this feels very different. There is a real belief that Carrick could be nearing perfection for the club going forward.”

However, despite the positivity surrounding Carrick’s work, United’s recruitment leadership are determined not to rush the decision.

“And whilst Jason Wilcox is very happy, he isn’t resting on his laurels, he is not patting himself on the back,” Bailey continued.

“He and Christopher Vivell are doing work on the market, talking to possible options and laying out the foundations of the club going forward.

“At the same time they are talking to the players, staff around the club and they are so pleased with the progress that has been achieved with Michael and his coaching staff.”

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Sources have revealed how Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea are all in the mix to sign a supremely talented Switzerland international midfielder from SC Freiburg this summer.

Elsewhere, the Red Devils are planning to raid Inter Milan for Federico Dimarco, according to a report, which has revealed how much INEOS are ready to pay for the Italian star .

Finally, Harry Kane is closing in on a new contract with Bayern Munich in a move that could effectively end any realistic hopes of the England captain returning to the Premier League and potentially joining United, with TEAMtalk sources revealing the eye-popping salary the 32-year-old is poised to land .