INEOS make £52m PL forward their ‘priority’ in Jan; Thierry Henry ‘loves’ watching him | OneFootball

Manchester United are scouring the market for potential signings they can make in January – albeit on a temporary basis.

Indeed, INEOS’ £200 million+ summer splurge has left reduced funds to work with this winter, and as has been the case for the last two seasons, Ruben Amorim is set to be granted only loan acquisitions.

It’s then up to the scouts to bring in the calibre of player Amorim needs to see out the second half of the campaign on a high. He’s currently navigating a squad filled to the brim with Erik ten Hag’s chosen additions, so must have a say in transfer dealings when the time comes mid-season.

One name who, perhaps surprisingly, has already been linked with a shock switch across the Premier League is Christopher Nkunku. The Chelsea star – a player Thierry Henry has admitted he ‘loves’ watching – is said to be unhappy with his situation at Stamford Bridge and could pursue a new venture if an opportunity presents itself.

United to provide disgruntled Nkunku an escape route

(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old is well within his rights to feel aggrieved since Enzo Maresca took the reins, as the only Premier League game that he started came on the opening day of 2024/2025. He has then been used sporadically in the subsequent matches, with his longest cameo being 27 minutes off the bench against West Ham in September. The week prior, he got off the mark for the term away to Bournemouth but has yet to add to his tally since then.

A report from Fichajes now claims that Nkunku has been deemed a ‘priority’ target for United as Amorim looks to welcome a more experienced forward to ease the goalscoring burden on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, both of whom have struggled to hit the ground running this season.

Given that the French international has also endured stagnant form in England, United’s interest presumably stems from the last season Nkunku oversaw with RB Leipzig; he scored 23 goals and notched 10 assists in 35 appearances across all competitions, making it no surprise he became one of Europe’s most sought-after stars.

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