West Ham, Newcastle scrambling to hijack Man Utd signing after shock striker transfer approved

PSG have given the greenlight to offloading a striker Ruben Amorim and Manchester United have made contact to sign, though a new report claims Newcastle or West Ham could spoil the show.

Man Utd, Newcastle and West Ham have all struggled in the final third this season. In terms of goals scored in the Premier League, Man Utd rank joint-17th with 12 goals, while Newcastle and West Ham place joint-15th on 13 goals apiece.

According to reports in France on Thursday, Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils contacted PSG to enquire into the availability of Randal Kolo Muani in January.

The 25-year-old remains a key performer for Didier Deschamps and his France side, though his influence at club level with PSG has been minimal this season.

As such, Man Utd hope to address their woes in the final third by signing Kolo Muani on loan in the upcoming winter window. An option to buy if the frontman impresses was also theorised in the piece.

And per a fresh update from Football Transfers, PSG have authorised Kolo Muani to leave via the loan route in January. What’s more, they’re open to offloading the player outright in the summer, meaning an option/obligation to buy is viable too.

However, the report also noted Premier League pair Newcastle and West Ham both want to sign Kolo Muani while also casting doubt on the strength of Man Utd’s interest.

Where will Kolo Muani wind up?

Explaining why they don’t believe Old Trafford is the viable destination the French media claim it is, Football Transfers stated: ‘there is a general ambition to move away from moves that very much echo the hierarchy of before, in particular, bringing in an out-of-form striker during the winter window who is not well-regarded at his current club.’

Newcastle and West Ham don’t appear to harbour those same concerns, however.

Regarding Eddie Howe’s Magpies, it was claimed an over-reliance on Alexander Isak is at the heart of their interest.

Indeed, if Isak were to sustain an injury, for example, Newcastle would be relying on Callum Wilson who himself is rarely available for selection. Wilson is yet to feature this season amid his ongoing recovery from a back injury.

West Ham, meanwhile, don’t lack for options in the striker position. Michail Antonio, Danny Ings and Niclas Fullkrug are available to Julen Lopetegui, though the issue lays in the fact none of that trio are particularly effective.

The three frontmen have scored just two Premier League goals between them this season. As such, it’s easy to see why The Hammers would be willing to take a chance on Kolo Muani.

Football Transfers concluded PSG aren’t overly fussy about who Kolo Muani joins and will prioritise the club that offers the most lucrative salary split as part of the loan.

If any interested side were to offer to cover 100 percent of the striker’s wages, they’d stand a good chance of securing the move. Of course, they’d also have to convince Kolo Muani to sign off on the move too.

Latest news – Amorim, Lopetegui, Guimaraes

In other news, The Sun claim Amorim has been left ‘stunned’ at what he witnessed during his first few training sessions at Carrington.

Per the report, the Portuguese was taken aback by the lack of speed and intensity exhibited by his players in training.

Elsewhere, TEAMtalk understands three managers are coming under consideration at West Ham amid mounting pressure on Lopetegui.

Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Graham Potter and Edin Terzic (both unattached) are in West Ham’s sights.

Finally, Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes has opened up on links to Manchester City.

“I believe that at my club I am an idol and I have a lot of respect,” Guimaraes said during the international break. “I am the captain of Newcastle and it is something that if you had asked me three years ago, my biggest dream would have been to play in the Premier League.

“Playing, being an idol, being captain is something wonderful. I really like Newcastle. Of course, having Manchester City’s interest shows that I am at a high level, but it was nothing more than interest.

“I know that Guardiola likes my football, it is normal to have great coaches who admire your football. We [Bruno and Guardiola] have spoken once. I praised his work, he praised my work, but it was nothing more than that.”