Newcastle United and Manchester United were “ready to push the limits” to sign Christopher Nkunku this summer.

BILD report on the forward today after he returned to Leipzig late in the window. That report includes comments from Leipzig sports chief Marcel Schäfer.

“This transfer wouldn’t have happened without Christo’s steadfastness. Two Premier League clubs were ready to push the limits—we wouldn’t have stood a chance against that.”

Leipzig win race

BILD then report that Nkunku turned down not only Newcastle but also Manchester United. He made it clear that he wanted to move to Leipzig and nowhere else.

That is something Schäfer is particularly impressed about. For him, it was important to focus on players with the right mentality.

“It was personally very important to me that we bring in someone with impeccable character,” he said.

“Someone who displays an incredible hunger to prove himself all over again. And off the pitch, too, we need a role model whom the young players can look up to.”

Newcastle’s interest

Sport Witness covered reports about Newcastle’s interest in Christopher Nkunku throughout the summer transfer window.

The Magpies were the more interested party by far. A report at the end of August made it clear that they had proposed a loan deal to Milan and were very much still trying to sign the 28-year-old before the end of the transfer window.

That came following weeks of similar reports, including one stating they were in a three-way battle with Leipzig and Dortmund for the Frenchman.

Manchester United were never presented as an option in Italy or Germany. It was reports in England that largely put them in the mix for his signature.

Now BILD insist that they were, though, while Schäfer is adamant that they were willing to spend big to secure the forward ahead of Leipzig. Fortunately for the German side, Nkunku wasn’t interested.

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The Red Devils paid an initial £64m fee to sign the Dane from Atalanta in 2023.

In his first season at the club, the forward found the net 16 times in all competitions, impressing particularly in the Champions League. Things started going wrong in the 2024/25 campaign, as he scored only four times in the Premier League.

Despite the disappointment, Sport Witness covered how he was highly coveted by several Italian clubs. After an initial loan at Napoli, his move was made permanent some months ago, after he scored 12 Serie A goals last season.

Now that he is settled into life in Naples, Højlund has opened up about the spell in England.

Player grateful about experience

The striker spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport and he was asked about a range of topics.

Højlund revealed a move to Napoli came at a very good time, as he didn’t feel wanted at Manchester United.

The 23-year-old said: “I think so. It was a positive step. I remember last year, I was in a difficult situation at United, I even said I thought they didn’t want me there anymore. I had to evaluate my options, and Napoli was definitely the right choice.”

“I’ve had positive conversations with [Antonio] Conte and [sporting director Giovanni] Manna. It’s been a great story so far.” 

The Denmark international said Antonio Conte personally called him to join Napoli. This convinced him about the destination in 2025.

“I spoke to the club and was looking for an opportunity. Milan has a great history, but when I heard Napoli wanted me and Conte called me, I had no doubts.” 

Shedding more light on Manchester United, Højlund has no regrets about how everything worked out.

“I don’t think anything specific went wrong. I arrived at a club with a manager. It was a difficult year, with a lot of injuries, but we won the FA Cup and I was the top scorer. Then we went through a difficult period and Amorim arrived, an excellent coach but with a different style of play. The team had to adapt and it was complicated. We all suffered.”

He expressed belief that losing the Europa League final to Tottenham in 2025 was the turning point of his career.

“My first year was a success, the second was not. But I played in the Europa League final. If we had won it would have been a different story. That’s football. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it goes badly, but I’m very happy to have played for the club I dreamed of as a child.” 

Career back on track

Fortunately, Højlund has fought his way back to the top and is now one of the most reliable strikers in Serie A. He has got his career back on track, despite the disappointment at Manchester United.

He was impacted by the instability at the club, and became a victim of that, receiving little service to score regularly.

That isn’t the case at Napoli. While they have changed managers with Max Allegri at the helm, Højlund scored a terrific goal at the weekend against Como. He is now finding confidence and momentum at a very important stage of his career.

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Michael Carrick has Luke Shaw as the only recognised and experienced left-back at his disposal.

Manchester United youngster Harry Amass is Shaw’s backup while both Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui can operate as a left-back.

Multiple targets for Manchester United 

The Red Devils had looked at a few targets including the Barcelona player, Club Brugge’s Joaquin Seys, Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall and Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas.

Salinas had a €16m release clause and the Premier League side or his other suitors didn’t activate it.

On Tuesday, Sport Witness covered a report from Spain explaining Manchester United’s efforts to sign Alejandro Balde. The Old Trafford club finished the window without adding a new left-back to their squad.

Wednesday’s edition of Mundo Deportivo looks at the 22-year-old’s situation, after he failed to secure a move elsewhere.

Manchester United failed to convince Barca 

The Spain international is behind summer signing João Cancelo and Xavi Espart in the pecking order. The latter has played every minute this season and contributed two assists.

Hansi Flick had sent messages, both publicly and in private, to Alejandro Balde that he won’t have a key role this season. The La Liga winners made him available in the market and Manchester United wanted to sign him.

Michael Carrick’s side didn’t give up on deadline day, and ‘exhausted all their options’.

Their plan was loan move but weren’t able to secure his services.

That’s because the player had no plans to leave and wants to continue to fight for a place at the Camp Nou.

Another Spanish newspaper, AS, states Manchester United pushed to sign Balde until the last minute on Tuesday.

However, their desire to take him on loan didn’t please Barcelona, who wanted a sale. The fullback was also not keen on leaving the Catalan club.

Balde ‘s decision to not accept the Old Trafford move hasn’t gone well and may soon be disastrous. He’s currently the only outfield player not to play a single minute this season.

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On Tuesday, the English window closed but the striker can still move to the Netherlands as the Dutch deadline is on Wednesday.

This allows the newly promoted Eredivisie side to sign the Manchester United player today.

Loan move for Manchester United man desired 

The 18-year-old joined the Red Devils in September 2024, after a spell at Arsenal. He played 212 minutes from seven matches for their first team in his debut season.

Last season, the frontman didn’t make an appearance for first team and settled for minutes with Manchester United U18 and U21s. He managed 20 goals and six assists from 37 matches.

On August 3rd, Sport Witness covered a report from Denmark explaining that Michael Carrick hasn’t included him in his core plans this season.

Therefore, he will leave on loan. That hasn’t happened yet and he can still leave even though the English window closed yesterday.

Manchester United in favour of loan exit 

Voetbal International states Willem II are trying to bring Chido Obi to Tilburg before the Dutch deadline.

Liverpool star Alexander Isak was on loan with the Eredivisie side in 2019, managing 14 goals and seven assists from 18 matches. VI are now comparing the Manchester United youngster to the Sweden international.

They also question whether Obi can have a similar impact as Isak if he were to join them on loan.

Brabants Dagblad talks about the possibility of Willem signing the Dane on a temporary deal today.

On August 25th, Sport Witness relayed news of Feyenoord’s interest in the young striker. However, a move didn’t go through, and their league counterpart can be a late option for him.

BD, after pointing out about the Feyenoord links, adds both the Old Trafford club and Obi’s entourage are in favour of a move to the Eredivisie. The two view a loan to the Dutch league as an ‘ideal next step’ for Obi.

With all parties in favour of his transfer, the loan move should go through. There will be more developments in the next few hours.

Key transfer points

• Carrick has left striker out of his core plans 
• Manchester United already planned loan move for Dane 
• Feyenoord showed interest in August but didn’t make advances
• Willem II are trying to sign Chido Oni on loan today

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The Barcelona left-back had been resisting a move to Old Trafford. That has been the biggest obstacle for United throughout this story. Now, with time running out, they’re trying again.

Journalist Gerard Romero just reported during his deadline-day coverage that United have intensified their efforts in the last few hours. They’re trying to convince Balde to change his mind and move to England.

According to his information, United had started pushing again only minutes before he spoke.

Balde was still saying no this morning

The interesting part is that Balde’s position hadn’t actually changed earlier on Tuesday. Romero explained that after Barcelona’s game on Monday and developments this morning, the 22-year-old was still firmly against leaving.

“The lad was still saying no, no, no!” he said. But seems Manchester United haven’t accepted that answer yet. Romero says they’ve gone back in and are trying to finally convince the defender.

That makes the next few hours crucial. Manchester United’s interest has been known for several days, as has Jorge Mendes’ work around a potential move.

The difference now is the timing and renewed pressure. United are making another attempt on deadline day despite Balde still resisting the transfer this morning.

Romero also spoke about a possible loan. He suggested there would be little room for Barcelona to manoeuvre if Balde only leaves temporarily, with various pieces needing to fit into place.

Salinas could come back into the picture

There could also be a knock-on effect involving Jorge Salinas. The Racing Santander left-back has been on Manchester United’s list and has a €16m (£13.8m) release clause. Barcelona have also been interested in him.

Romero says that if United end up taking Balde, Barcelona could then make a move for Salinas. That would effectively see them target a player who has also been considered an alternative for United.

There’s very little time to make any of that happen. Barcelona’s president has already said there will be no more arrivals before the deadline. Romero, though, pointed out that departures could still happen.

Balde is clearly one of the players to watch on that front. United now have around six hours to turn a player who was still saying no this morning into a deadline-day signing.

If they manage it, there could even be one final domino to fall at Barcelona.

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Newcastle United‘s Nick Woltemade has increasingly emerged as a target for Juventus and a move is gathering pace. Manchester United have also played a part in this movement.

This week, Sport Witness have covered how Bianconeri manager Luciano Spalletti is keen on the German. He has spoken to him personally and has expressed great admiration for his skillset.

Juve have also been interested in Joshua Zirkzee but Woltemade’s profile is much more convincing to Spalletti.

Now, things are moving fast, with Newcastle United in discussions over a deal.

Transfer domino ongoing

Orazio Accomando reports that Juve and the Magpies are inching towards a possible agreement for Woltemade.

The two clubs have been in ‘constant contact’ to close a transfer, with Juve seeing the move as a favourable opportunity. The same isn’t true for Zirkzee, as the terms could be difficult to match.

Gazzetta dello Sport add their spin, clarifying that Newcastle United have opened up to a dry loan deal. This has worked in Juve’s favour, as the Old Lady would pay a loan fee of €5m only. The ex-Stuttgart man is someone the Old Lady always had on their shortlist and they see this as a chance to capitalise.

In the meantime, Manchester United have refused similar terms to let Zirkzee leave. They have demanded an option or an obligation to buy, which doesn’t suit the Italian giants.

As a result, a move for the Germany international is going in the right direction.

Our take: Magpies have replacement sorted

Things have clearly moved quickly, as Newcastle United are closing in on Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who is a proven goalscorer.

He will replace Woltemade, who will be a reliable squad option for the Old Lady. For now, Randal Kolo Muani is Spalletti’s preferred striker but the German offers a different profile.

And with Juve playing in the Europa League, the 24-year-old will get his chances to make a mark.

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Como’s concrete efforts to sign Moise Kean has seen La Viola look for a new striker. The focus is on the Netherlands international.

On Friday, Sport Witness covered a report from Italy explaining that Fiorentina made the first offer.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici’s close ties with Zirkzee’s agent Kia Joorabchian is helping the Serie A side to make progress.

Player wants Manchester United exit 

Saturday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport says the Italian club are ‘doing everything they can’ to sign the 25-year-old.

For now, Manchester United haven’t responded to their initial offer. Despite this, there are ‘some certainties in the negotiations’.

That’s because Joshua Zirkzee has opened the door to join them and the Red Devils have made him available for transfer. The Dutchman’s €3.5m net per year salary isn’t an issue for the Italian club.

Manchester United want assurance 

The Premier League side’s condition is the obstacle for Fiorentina to wrap up the deal. They won’t accept a loan with an option to buy.

Therefore, La Viola are making a substantial offer to sign Joshua Zirkzee. This includes a €5m loan fee with a purchase option of around €30m that will become mandatory under certain conditions. Michael Carrick’s side would accept such a formula.

There’s belief Fabio Paratici’s excellent relationship with Manchester United player’s agent can help Fiorentina get the deal over the line.

Corriere Fiorentino are stating the Italian club are confident of signing the former Bologna man.

This stems from the player making it clear he wants to join Fiorentina. However, it won’t matter if Fiorentina can’t find an agreement with the Old Trafford club.

The former are offering a high-cost loan of €6-7m with a €20m buying option. Gazzetta have reported different figures.

On the other hand, Manchester United are demanding a purchase obligation. The two clubs can find a compromise by agreeing for a conditional obligation to buy.

La Viola have lined up alternatives as Paratici has made an offer for Everton’s Beto. The newspaper insists this is a tactic to put pressure on the Red Devils.

To sum it up, Manchester United have made it clear they don’t want just an option to buy irrespective of high the loan fee is.

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That’s according to 225 Foot, who state it’s their own updates about Aston Villa’s efforts to secure the Manchester United player’s services.

Aston Villa approach Manchester United

Last season, the winger played 2,428 minutes from 33 matches, managing two goals and four assists. He featured regularly after Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorin in January.

However, Bryan Mbeumo is ahead of the Ivory Coast international for the right-wing slot and it may impact his game time this season.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are keen and have ‘officially submitted a concrete offer’ with Manchester United. 225 Foot haven’t provided the details of the proposal or about the Red Devils’ response.

The 24-year-old has to decide whether to accept a move to continue at Old Trafford.

Amad Diallo knows he has an important role at Manchester United and can play in the Champions League this season. The former Atalanta man also dreams of winning the title with his current club.

These are the factors that make it difficult for the Villa Park club to secure his services. He has a contract until 2030, with an option for another year, and this puts Manchester United in a comfortable position.

Carrick’s side are unlikely to let the attacker leave, especially considering Fenerbahçe and Fiorentina want to sign Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee respectively.

Aston Villa have other options

Amad Diallo’s preferred role is as a right winger and he can also operate in other attacking positions.

The Villans have finalised an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for Ibrahim Mbaye. He will travel to England this weekend to complete his move to Villa Park.

Mbaye mainly operates in the right wing. If he were to join Aston Villa, it wouldn’t make sense for them to invest big on another player in the same position. Manchester United are also unlikely to let the Ivorian leave.

Barring surprising developments, Diallo should still be at Old Trafford after next Tuesday’s deadline.

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Friday’s print edition of BILD reports on the 28-year-old. He is on the sell list at Leipzig as they look to reduce squad numbers before the end of the window.

The newspaper explains that Leipzig would like to trim their squad if they can. They have several players on the list that can move. Raum is one of them.

Leipzig see this summer as their last chance to secure a high transfer fee for the defender. That’s’ because his contract runs until 2027. He’ll be free to negotiate with sides come January.

As a result, the German club know a fee below €40m is a possibility. Transfermarkt currently values the left-back at €25m.

On Manchester United’s shortlist

BILD have learned that Manchester United have him on their shortlist. They are looking for a player in that position, and the German is on their radar.

However, Michael Carrick’s side are still debating whether to spend a ‘relatively large sum’ on a slightly older player like Raum or to instead opt for a talent with room for development.

Their business so far this summer has been a mix of both, as it was last year. While there have been signings such as Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos, they have also brought in Youri Tielemans.

It seems the debate is now about what route they take when it comes to signing a replacement for Luke Shaw.

Raum comments

David Raum has been consistently linked for years. Indeed, barely a transfer window has passed without reports linking him to Manchester United.

This summer is no different. The defender has been stoking the flames too. Sport Witness covered comments from him this week about his future.

“I’m now heading into the final year of my contract,” he said.

“I don’t need to lie about the fact that inquiries are coming in, that’s obviously to be expected. As things stand, I’m looking forward to the season with Leipzig.”

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Earlier this week, the Istanbul club qualified for the Champions League group stage, after overcoming Lyon.

The Yellow Canaries want to further strengthen their attack and have identified the Manchester United player as the target.

Fenerbahçe’s plan for Manchester United man 

On Thursday, Sport Witness covered a report from Turkey explaining that Fenerbahçe head of football Cihan Kamer would travel to England to hold talks with the Red Devils after the Champions League draw.

There was no mention of a price or the formula that the Turkish club are looking at to sign the 28-year-old.

Fotomaç picks up on that and adds director Oğuz Çetin has joined Kamer for the trip to the UK.

The duo will sit down for talks with Manchester United for Marcus Rashford. Their aim is to sign him on a permanent transfer.

Manchester United have decision to make

The newspaper states Fenerbahçe will send a €25m offer to Manchester United today for the England international.

Cihan Kamer and Oğuz Çetin are likely to present it during their talks with the Premier League side. The officials may also hold talks with the player while in England.

Marcus Rashford spent the last 18 months out on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona, who didn’t exercise their €30m purchase clause.

Therefore, he returned to Old Trafford this summer. Last weekend, he came off the bench in the 2-0 defeat to Hull City to make his first appearance for the Red Devils since 2024.

Fotomaç report Michael Carrick’s side are open to selling him and Fenerbahçe’s aim is to finalise the operation this weekend. If there’s no agreement, the latter will submit a new offer of loan with an obligation to buy [probably with better conditions].

Meanwhile, Fiorentina have also made a loan offer for Joshua Zirkzee. If Fenerbahçe table the €25m bid for Rashford, the Red Devils have to decide on these two players’ futures.

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