Man Utd BLOCK Ruben Amorim from fixing glaring issue in INEOS powerplay

Manchester United are reportedly being blocked in their efforts to sign a new central midfielder due to the remaining presence of a highly-paid star, while the Red Devils have been told why they should look to ‘keep’ Tottenham target Kobbie Mainoo.

Ruben Amorim failed to find the right balance in his engine room after replacing Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford and while United have been busy bolstering their attack this summer, they have continued to be linked with new midfield additions.

The latest of those links has involved highly-rated Valencia star Javi Guerra, with claims that United have actually ‘reached a verbal agreement’ to sign the 22-year-old. However, fresh reports from Spain suggest that a move might not be quite as advanced as previously stated.

United allowed Christian Eriksen to walk away over the summer, while Spurs are being heavily linked to raid Old Trafford for Mainoo. Despite that, a report in the Daily Express has explained why Amorim is not currently allowed to add another body to his midfield.

They state that the remaining presence of high-earning Casemiro is causing massive issues at United, with four intermediaries tasked with finding a buyer for the Brazilian, who is in the final year of his £300,000-a-week contract.

The club would need a fee of £15million for Casemiro to avoid a loss under the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules, but it seems unlikely that such an offer will be made for the 33-year-old.

Despite shining in the latter stages of United’s run to the Europa League final, the club were looking for buyers for Casemiro during the winter transfer window, when he was on a month-long playing hiatus.

With an exit for the former Real Madrid star looking increasingly unlikely to sign off, the report adds that Bruno Fernandes is now expected to permanently move into to central midfield – especially after United committed to spending £50million on Manuel Ugarte last August.

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Pundit urges Amorim to stick with Mainoo

Meanwhile, former Man Utd and Tottenham striker Alan Brazil has offered his verdict on Mainoo‘s potential switch to north London this summer.

The 20-year-old midfield talent is currently under contract at Old Trafford until 2027, while the club also has an option to extend his deal by a further year.

However, the player turned down the club’s offer of a new deal at the start of the year, despite being keen on remaining in Manchester and a talkSPORT pundit claiming that he is not asking for much money in comparison to some of his teammates.

The issue remains that he is not first choice for Amorim, despite United’s struggles in the centre of the park, and Brazil is intrigued by the idea of Mainoo playing for Tottenham – even if he thinks the player should stay put.

He told talkSPORT: “He’s only young isn’t he, and if I were United I’d want to keep him, but it’s up to the manager.

“Amorim, he’s seen enough of him now to know if he’s his type of player, [or] not in his plans. Is he his type of player?

“I’ve always said that Tottenham’s midfield is not good enough, they need more pace in there, so the jury is out here.

“I’d like to see him stay at United, I’d like to see him get his career back on track, like playing every week and starting.

“But he could be alright for Spurs — that’s a good one that is. I’m not sure, I’m going to sit on the fence on this.”

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