Not Neves: Man Utd should now sign £15m midfielder for Carrick, 14 recoveries yesterday

Manchester United should explore a winter deal to re-sign midfielder James Garner from Everton.

The Red Devils recently parted ways with head coach Ruben Amorim, and Michael Carrick has been placed in interim charge for the remainder of the campaign.

The onus should be on qualifying for the Champions League. The club are currently fifth in the Premier League table, just one point behind arch-rivals Liverpool in fourth.

Fifth place could also be enough to qualify for Europe’s elite competition.

United are poised to hold an internal meeting with Carrick this week to discuss potential signings. We believe the club should seek to re-sign Garner from the Toffees.

Garner left the Red Devils to join Everton in a package worth £15 million in 2022. He has since made steady progress to become an undisputed starter at the Merseyside outfit.

The 23-year-old’s form has been brilliant throughout the current league season. He produced a defensive masterclass in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa on the road yesterday.

Garner completed 88 percent of his passes at Villa Park. He won a stunning nine out of 12 duels contested, while making a staggering 14 recoveries over 90 minutes.

The Red Devils graduate also made four clearances, four interceptions and four successful tackles. It was a brilliant showing and earned him the man of the match accolade.

There has been much speculation that United could consider a move for Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves. Neves has entered the last six months of his contract at the Saudi giants.

He could be signed for a package of around £17.5m, but there are several hurdles. Neves earns a hefty £294,000 per week at Al-Hilal and needs to accept a significant pay cut.

Furthermore, the Portuguese has his sights on playing Champions League football. In our view, In our view, United should instead pursue a deal for Garner from the Toffees.

Garner’s current contract with Everton expires on June 30, but they have the option to keep him for another 12 months. Contract talks have not progressed over the past few weeks.

United are reportedly keeping an eye on Garner’s situation on Merseyside and should consider a late-winter raid for his services if the midfielder gives the green light to a reunion.

With practically another 17 months left on his contract, Everton may not sanction his sale on the cheap. It could probably take closer to £25-30m to prise him away from the Toffees.

A mid-season exit seems unlikely as Everton could aim to keep him until the summer, but United should try and test the Toffees’ resolve with a formal approach for the midfielder.

Garner is four years younger than Neves and would not hurt United’s wage bill. He is on £30,000 per week, and the Red Devils could easily triple his wages to secure his return.

It remains to be seen whether United make a move for Garner this winter.

Stats from Sofascore.com & Capology.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .