Our senior Manchester United writer Tyrone Marshall answers your questions on the club and what is going on at Old Trafford.
Ivan Toney could return to the Premier League this month
Welcome along to our latest Manchester United question and answer session with senior club writer Tyrone Marshall, who covers the daily goings-on at Old Trafford.
The January transfer window is now open and United could be active this month. Joshua Zirkzee is wanted by Roma and Kobbie Mainoo could push for a loan move, which would lead to replacements coming in.
On the pitch, Ruben Amorim is in need of a New Year pick-me-up after ending 2025 with a dismal draw at home to Wolves.
We asked for questions and you delivered. The responses to those submitted are below. We will be running weekly question and answer sessions from now, so keep an eye on our social media feeds and get your questions in as we seek to keep you plugged in to everything going on at Old Trafford.
Will the club make any short-term loans to plug gaps? Like a Conor Gallagher or Ivan Toney?
It’s a possibility. United insist the focus is on long-term targets and anything they do will be to bring forward a move they had planned to make further down the line.
I don’t think Toney fits that bill, although I do think he would have been a good signing had United made their move when he left Brentford, rather than now. There is faith in Benjamin Sesko at Old Trafford and any attacking signing is likely to replace Zirkzee as more of a back-up, and Toney isn’t going to play that role.
Midfield is an area United will monitor this month. They expect to start an overhaul of the midfield in the summer but could bring that forward if possible. It might well depend on whether anyone leaves. Manuel Ugarte’s future is uncertain and Mainoo could yet look to push for a loan this month if his situation doesn’t improve.
Do they have the PSR room to make a big move for a Adam Wharton or another young CM, maybe from abroad like Sangare from Lens?
United’s PSR position has improved, as witnessed by their summer spending and the willingness to be in the running for £65million Antoine Semenyo this month. The PSR rules are also on their way, to be replaced by Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) next season. Those rules should, in theory, better suit United.
I don’t think there is any chance Palace let Wharton go this month. Look at the fuss Oliver Glasner kicked up when they almost sold Marc Guehi in the summer, it isn’t going to happen, especially when they are in the running for European football again.
Someone like Sangare would probably be more achievable, although there is nothing concrete there at the moment. Again, something like that may depend on the futures of Ugarte and Mainoo this month.
Get Kobbie fit and playing. How come a first-choice England international of last year can’t get a place in our current “star-studded” team, who are playing such sensational football and sweeping aside teams week in week out?
It’s been a difficult 12 months for Mainoo. It seems pretty clear that Amorim isn’t convinced, although he isn’t the only one. Mainoo is an exceptional midfielder in possession but his out-of-possession work needs a lot of improvement. That is why there is a reluctance to play him too deep and why Amorim trialled him as a No.10 and even a striker last year.
His quick feet and dribbling make him a real threat in those areas. If he can sharpen up with his positioning in deeper areas he can develop into a quality midfielder, but to do that he needs to play games.
It’s a shame he has picked up an injury when he would have had starts and it will be fascinating to see when he is fit again if he can get into the side and if Amorim does give him more game time when he uses a back four and plays three in midfield.
We should definitely give Martinez a good run at No.6 in midfield. He’s a great defender and great at forward passing. He’s a natural for midfield and could save us a lot of money.
Amorim said back in November that he didn’t see Martinez as a long-term option in midfield and we’ve only seen him there for 45 minutes since, when he came on at half-time against Aston Villa.
He has played there for Ajax and has the passing range to do so, but you have to offset that with what you would lose if you took him out of the centre of defence. He can break lines with his passing from deep and is an excellent defender, arguably United’s best one-on-one.
I don’t see him getting much of a chance in midfield. I think the long-term solution to United’s issues at No.6 are going to lie in the transfer market.