Manchester United are keen on acquiring a midfielder who once excelled in the Premier League, but sources indicate that finalizing a deal is fraught with challenges.

With the 11pm deadline approaching tonight, United are racing against time to secure any last-minute signings.

Chances of signing Leon Bailey, Christopher Nkunku, or Mathys Tel now appear slim. This situation may strengthen United’s resolve to keep Alejandro Garnacho, especially if Napoli or Chelsea make a late bid.

Tel’s saga has been particularly noteworthy this transfer window. Initially, he had decided against joining Tottenham after a €60m (£50m) agreement with Bayern Munich fell through. However, just days later, Spurs returned with a straightforward loan offer that Bayern accepted, successfully convincing Tel to come aboard.

This comes despite United’s recent loan bid for Tel being rejected by Bayern. Rumor had it that Tel preferred a move to United, suggesting that they were simply in the right place at the wrong time.

The 19-year-old is now en route to London to finalize his transfer, with confirmations from notable journalists like Ben Jacobs, Fabrizio Romano, Florian Plettenberg, and Fabrice Hawkins about Spurs’ imminent acquisition.

Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, the Red Devils have decided against signing a center-back, even with Lisandro Martinez facing a potentially season-ending knee injury. However, according to Daily Mail reporter Sami Mokbel, United are still interested in bringing in a high-profile midfielder.

Mokbel shared on X that Douglas Luiz’s anticipated return to the Premier League appears challenging. While United have shown interest, a deal with Juventus seems unlikely.

Luiz, 26, was signed by Juventus from Aston Villa for around £42m (€50m) last summer but has struggled in Turin, accumulating just 656 minutes of play across all competitions. Yet, he proved to be one of the Premier League’s top midfielders during his time at Aston Villa, earning the club’s Player of the Season award in 2022/23.

Manchester City, one of Luiz’s former clubs, had expressed interest in re-signing him earlier this window but instead opted for Nico Gonzalez from FC Porto for approximately €60m.

As Mokbel noted and confirmed by our own transfer insider Fraser Fletcher, a move for Luiz is quite ambitious. Sources suggest that United would prefer a loan arrangement, but they are hesitant to commit to a significant permanent signing in the final hours of the transfer window unless it aligns with the club’s long-term vision.