Hunt for midfielder leads Manchester United boss Rangnick to Premier League star

Manchester United return to action on Monday evening as they visit Newcastle United in their first Premier League fixture in more than a fortnight. 

Ralf Rangnick’s side had their last game, against Brentford last weekend, postponed after a Covid-19 outbreak, but look set to travel to the North East on Monday with several players now having finished periods of isolation.

The Red Devils will be desperate for a win having dropped down to seventh after other results over the weekend, including wins for Arsenal and Tottenham, although Rangnick’s side do have at least one game in hand on every top half team aside from Spurs.

Now, with the January transfer window just days away, the German boss is reportedly eyeing possible transfer targets, particularly in midfield.

The position has been a problem for both Rangnick and his predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with both managers struggling to find a balance in the middle of the park.

Now, the club’s pursuit of a midfielder has apparently drawn them to Wolves’ Ruben Neves, as per The Mirror.

Neves could be offloaded to ease Wolves’ financial woes

The report states that Rangnick’s priority is finding a central midfielder, and while the club has been linked with the likes of Amadou Haidara and Aurelien Tchouameni, Neves is the club’s top target.

United tried – and failed – to sign a player in that particular position throughout Solskjaer’s tenure, while the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay often fell short in complimenting the attacking threat of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes with defensive stability.

Wolves’ ongoing financial issues have fuelled rumours of a number of potential outgoings at Molineux, but Neves’ name will arguably generate the most interest, with the Portuguese having been one of the club’s standout performers since their return to the top flight.

The report also suggests that Rangnick will be handed as much as £100 million to sort out his underperforming squad in January, while a number of players could also leave the club.

The 24-year-old is approaching 200 matches for the club having made his 194th appearance recently, and has scored 21 goals in that time.