
Manchester United
Premier League • England
Man Utd ‘in talks’ to sign Premier League winger as Amorim eyes instant Rashford replacement

Man Utd are interested in Aston Villa star Leon Bailey
Manchester United have reportedly ‘held talks’ over a move for Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey as Ruben Amorim looks to bolster his attacking options late in the transfer window.
Villa have agreed a deal to sign Red Devils forward Marcus Rashford on an initial loan and he is currently undergoing a medical (as of 3pm, Sunday) ahead of officially completing the move.
The departures of Rashford, Antony and potentially also Alejandro Garnacho, who remains of interest to Chelsea, leaves Man Utd somewhat short of winger options.
According to journalist Florian Plettenberg, Man Utd ‘held talks’ with Villa again regarding a potential move for Bailey on Sunday morning.
Villa may be open to offloading Bailey once Rashford’s move to Unai Emery’s side is made official as the England international will give them another option in the left-wing position.
The 20-year-old had an excellent 2023/24 campaign but has scored just one goal in 20 Premier League appearances this season, although only 13 of those have been starts.
Meanwhile, Plettenberg claims that a Man Utd move for Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku is ‘not completely off the table’ as things stand, while ‘discussions are ongoing’ with the representatives of Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel.
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Man Utd considering late swoop for Aston Villa star
Man Utd’s interest in Bailey was first reported by The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell, another reliable source, so this is a story that does seem to have legs.
The Jamaican international is under contract at Villa Park until 2027 which puts the Midlands side in a strong negotiating position. According to Transfermarkt, he is valued at €38m (£31.8m, $39.4m).
As we have consistently reported over the past week, Man Utd’s interest in Nkunku is genuine and a deal could be agreed that sees Garnacho join Chelsea, although the transfers would be ‘separate’ for PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) purposes.
Man Utd would like to keep Garnacho but they are understood to be open to selling him for a fee in the region of £70m, while Nkunku is valued at around £60m by Chelsea.
Bayern forward Tel is firmly on their radar too but the Red Devils face competition from his signature, with Arsenal pushing to sign him on loan until the end of the season.
With this in mind, it looks set to be a frantic end to the window for Man Utd and Bailey is a player to keep an eye on right up until Monday’s 11pm deadline.
Man Utd round-up: Malacia deal collapses / Surprise striker signing?
Meanwhile, Benfica’s loan move for Man Utd left-back Tyrell Malacia has collapsed, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Portuguese giants signed Alvaro Fernandez Carreras from the Red Devils last summer and were looking to repeat that trick with Malacia.
Yet despite talks reaching an advanced stage, transfer guru Romano has confirmed the move has fallen through due to two specific reasons.
“Tyrell Malacia’s loan move to Benfica from Man Utd has definitely collapsed,” wrote Romano on X. “No agreement on loan fee and future buy option.
“Man Utd keep looking at options for Malacia as there are several loan requests.”
A follow-up from Romano doubled down on the claims Malacia WILL leave Old Trafford before the February 3 deadline despite the route to Benfica closing.
“Manchester United still expect Tyrell Malacia to leave before Monday night Deadline,” added the reporter. “Benfica deal OFF, more options being explored on loan.”
In other news, shock reports suggest that Man Utd are exploring a deal for Atalanta striker El Bilal Toure, who is currently on loan at Stuttgart.
As evidenced by Man Utd’s interest in Tel, Amorim is keen to bring in more competition for Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
Man Utd transfer quiz: Before or after?