Manchester United are now seriously plotting a January move for an “incredible” star, who Ruben Amorim may play in a new position.

Man Utd eyeing players to fit Amorim's system

Amorim has come under heavy scrutiny for being unwilling to compromise on his three-at-the-back system, with Jamie Carragher calling the manager into question after the 1-0 defeat at home against Everton last month.

Carragher makes it clear he doesn’t understand how the 40-year-old can stick to the formation so “steadfastly”, but in fairness Man United do seem to have turned a corner, having lost just one of their last seven Premier League games.

There is still plenty of room for improvement, but the manager seems to have bought himself some time, which means INEOS will be tasked with bringing in players suited to playing his system this winter, should they decide to enter the market for new additions.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Man United are now seriously plotting a move for AFC Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, whose £65m release clause becomes active in the early stages of the January transfer window.

The release clause drops as low as £50m in the summer, which is good news for the long list of potential suitors, with Liverpool and Manchester City also being named as potential suitors, and Pep Guardiola’s side are leading the race for his signature.

The 25-year-old has caught the eye from an attacking point of view this season, having featured on both wings for AFC Bournemouth, but there is a feeling he could be used as a right-wing back in Amorim’s system.

"Incredible" Semenyo may be wasted at right-wing back

It would be a real statement if Man United were able to sign the Ghanaian, amid major interest from some top clubs, as he has emerged as one of the Premier League’s star players this season, chipping in with six goals and three assists in 13 outings.

Lauded as “incredible” by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, the Bournemouth star is also a well-rounded player, who could do a job at right-wing back, as showcased by the fact he ranks in the 80th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, having averaged 1.60.

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That said, given Semenyo’s ability on the front foot, he would perhaps be wasted in a deeper position, and Amorim should play him in a more advanced role, should the Red Devils win the race for his signature.

With Mason Mount getting the nod in the left-sided attacking midfield role against Crystal Palace, given Matheus Cunha’s injury, United could clearly do with greater depth in that area of the pitch, and the 32-time Ghana international has proven himself as a top Premier League forward.

Adam Wharton's agent has admitted the Crystal Palace star wants to play in the Champions League one day amid links with a big-money move. Manchester United are among the teams who have been credited with interest in the 21-year-old but for now, he remains an Eagles player. But his representative, James Featherstone, has hinted the midfielder's future lies away from Selhurst Park.

Palace to 'dig heels in' over Wharton

After an impressive 18 months or so at Palace, Wharton has been linked with eye-catching transfer moves in 2026. The former Blackburn Rovers star is very highly rated at the Croydon outfit and if they are to part company with a player who has three-and-a-half years left on his contract, it will be for a huge fee. Palace co-owner Steve Parish is well aware that his club, who are playing in the Conference League this term, have an in-demand player but they will do all they can to keep him. 

He said in October: "Look, I think Adam at some point will want to play, either in the Champions League with us, if we could make that happen, or probably with another club. He’s an extraordinary talent. I think right now, and I can’t speak for Adam, but I think he’s focused on his time at Crystal Palace. He had a broken season last season with the groin issues that he had, which a lot of young players get. This season he’s completely focused on putting the games in, getting in the England squad, being a regular for us. I think he’s very committed to the club. I mean, if Manchester United want Adam Wharton, that’s nothing surprising really. The fact of the matter is he’s got a long contract to run. There’s no pressure on us to do it and I don’t think there’s any real pressure from the player either."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWharton downplays Man Utd links

Although United, one of the world's biggest clubs, are said to be keen on Wharton, he himself does not seem to be too enamoured with Ruben Amorim's team – who are not in Europe this season and are below Palace in the Premier League table. 

Indeed, he said last month: "I don't really look into it or think too much about it. There are always rumours floating about on social media. Is it true? Is it not? You tell me. My friends, my family, my brothers, everyone will message me and be like, 'Is it true this club's interested?' I'm like, 'Thanks for telling me because I didn't know.' I don't know who's spreading it or who at United is looking at it. I see it and I'm like, 'OK', and then I carry on with my day. United, the big teams, they're all linked to 10, 20 different players. If I'm one of 20, then it's nothing special, so it doesn't really mean too much. I speak with my agent about planning ahead and possibilities. But at the end of the day, it is who's interested and who's willing to try and get you and if that becomes the case? You can speak about it, but you've got to represent that on the pitch and prove that you deserve it."

Wharton on the move?

After achieving his goals of playing in the Premier League and becoming an England international, Wharton has his sights set on his next goal – the Champions League. According to his agent Featherstone, the midfielder is craving Europe's elite competition next. 

"When he was at Blackburn we sat down and spoke about shooting for the stars and playing for England," his agent told . "So how do you get there? Personally I think to play for England you have to play Champions League, to play in the Champions League you have got to play for one of the top teams in one of the top leagues. That jump to a Champions League team, I think you can get lost. The plan below that was to play for a Premier League team. We have got a plan. He is 21. I have to check myself to remember that every now and then. It doesn’t have to be achieved yesterday, today or this moment. He has got his in-game, in-season targets and goals. He has got to do his bit and the rest will look after itself in a very structured, calm way to ultimately add value and maximise his ability."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Wharton?

The England ace will hope to help his Palace side, who sit sixth in the Premier League, to all three points when they visit London neighbours Fulham in the English top-flight on Sunday afternoon. If results go their way, they could rise to fourth in the table, whereas the Cottagers could jump two places to 13th with a win. 

No replacement was nominated for him for the ODIs, while Fakhar Zaman is called up to the T20I squad

Danyal Rasool09-Nov-2025

Pakistan have dropped batter Hasan Nawaz from their upcoming ODI and T20I series later this month. He has been sent instead to participate in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. No replacement was nominated for him for the ODIs, while Fakhar Zaman is called up to the T20I squad in his stead.Nawaz, who initially rose to prominence when he scored a match-winning T20I hundred against New Zealand at Eden Park in March in his third T20I, was initially marked out as a shining talent. Consequentially, he was allowed an extended run in the side despite numerous failures including five ducks in his first ten games.However, his ability for big hitting, especially during the middle and late stages of T20 innings, was deemed extremely valuable, and his ceiling was considered higher than just about every other player. That reputation was burnished further thanks to a dazzling PSL campaign where he took Quetta Gladiators to the final, finishing as the third highest run-scorer at a strike rate over 162.But over the past two months, he has begun to be viewed as more dispensable. He was dropped from the later stages of Pakistan’s run to the Asia Cup final this year for Hussain Talat, a batter with a much lower explosive profile. He has only played four ODIs – three against the West Indies in August, and averages over 56.Even so, the manner of his dismissal in the first game, when he charged George Linde on a spinning track and ended up stumped, signalled a particular lack of match awareness, and he was not picked for the remaining games. Similarly, his T20I run over the past few months has become a problem for Pakistan. In his last eight matches, he has reached double figures just once, averaging under 7.Pakistan play three ODIs against Sri Lanka from November 11 before commencing a T20I tri-series that also involves Zimbabwe from November 17. It will be the first multi-team T20I tournament ever held in Pakistan.Pakistan squadsODIs: Shaheen Shah Afridi (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali AghaT20I tri-series: Salman Ali Agha (capt), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq

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