Manchester United could be tempted to cash in on defender Lisandro Martinez as Real Madrid step up their interest in the World Cup winner.
Martinez is one of several Premier League stars being pursued by the Spanish giants, alongside top summer target and Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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While Martinez is considered a fan favorite in the eyes of many United fans and is considered one of the few success stories of the recent transfer windows, The Pitch Prospect understands that the Argentine is not considered off-limits to any potential buyer.
The Red Devils are keen to retain young stars Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, but are open to offers from virtually any other player to stay on the right side of the PSR rules.
This also includes English striker Marcus Rashford, who has previously been linked to PSG.
Although it is unlikely that a deal of this magnitude can be completed in January, the Red Devils are prepared to consider selling their £300,000-a-week academy figurehead after several months of poor performances and concerns about him of his lifestyle off the field.
Los Blancos have also identified Martinez’s Old Trafford team-mate Diogo Dalot and Tottenham’s Pedro Porro as potential alternatives to Trent Alexander-Arnold. They also have a long-standing interest in Spurs star Cristian Romero.
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We’re talking about Bruno
Newcastle are expecting an offer from Manchester City for star midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in January.
While City don’t typically spend much money in the winter window, they are expected to back manager Pep Guardiola after he committed his future to the Etihad Stadium last month.
Replacing the injured Rodri is key for Guardiola to get the champions’ stuttering season back on track and Guimaraes is high on the list of his summer targets.
The Pitch Prospect has been told Newcastle remain under pressure to sell players to avoid breaching Premier League spending rules and that Guimaraes and Alexander Isak are their two most lucrative assets.
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Patient Potter
Graham Potter remains ready to make his return as coach at West Ham, while Julen Lopetegui is still on thin ice after Monday’s much-needed win over Wolves.
Lopetegui would almost certainly have been sacked had the Hammers failed to emerge victorious in a game known as El Sackico, in which both Lopetegui and Wolves colleague Gary O’Neil were under enormous pressure.
While the Hammers’ Jarrod Bowen-inspired win should give Lopetegui a stay of execution, several board members are unconvinced by the Spaniard, who faces a difficult run of games
against Bournemouth, Brighton, Southampton and Liverpool until the end of the month.
The Pitch Prospect understands a deal for Potter to initially replace Lopetegui until the end of the season will remain on the table, with the former Brighton manager keen to get back to work 20 months after being sacked by Chelsea.
Lopetegui has had several altercations with players in the dressing room since replacing David Moyes in the summer.
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¡Benvenido!
Brighton’s newest South American star has flown to the UK to complete his £14million move from David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
Midfielder Diego Gomez is moving to the Seagulls alongside Lionel Messi. The contract agreed in the summer is due to be completed in January.
The 21-year-old is a key part of the Paraguay team that is close to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and looks set for another shrewd piece of business from Brighton owner Tony Bloom.
Brighton already boasts Gomez’s Paraguayan team-mate Julio Enciso, as well as Argentinian Facundo Buonanotte and Brazilians Igor and Joao Pedro, as well as Colombian Pervis Estupinan – giving the Amex Stadium dressing room a distinctly Latin feel.
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