Man Utd ‘interested’ in surprise Premier League player who left in January
Manchester United have been linked with a surprising move for a former Premier League star, just hours after securing their spot in the Champions League with a 3–2 win over rivals Liverpool.
Michael Carrick’s team earned their place in Europe’s top competition on Sunday, thanks to goals from Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Šeško, and Kobbie Mainoo. These canceled out efforts from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo for Liverpool.
Even though there’s still some doubt about Carrick’s future—his contract only runs until the end of the season—many expect he’ll stay at Old Trafford this summer. With ten wins in 14 Premier League games, he has a strong case to keep managing.
If Carrick stays, he’ll face a tougher season next year, as the club will compete in four different tournaments. So far, he has only managed Premier League matches, with United having already been knocked out of the domestic cups before he took over in January.
Because of the heavier schedule, the club plans to improve their squad this summer, looking to add both quality and depth for the busy 2026/27 season.
Even though there are still three league games left this season, United are already thinking ahead for the summer transfer window.
One of their targets is former Aston Villa and current Roma forward Donyell Malen. Italian paper Corriere dello Sport says that Newcastle United and Chelsea are also interested in the Dutch player.
Malen moved to Villa in summer 2025 after a strong run at Borussia Dortmund but struggled for game time under Unai Emery, mostly coming off the bench before joining Roma on loan in January.
Since arriving in Italy, the 27-year-old has found his form again, scoring 12 goals and providing two assists in just 16 games. Roma is currently sixth in Serie A.
Roma has the option to buy Malen permanently for a fee between £22 million and £30 million, but Malen might feel he still has more to prove after a tough time in the West Midlands.
Reports say Roma’s owners, the Friedkin Group, are likely to agree to a permanent deal this week.
Last week, Villa’s manager Emery seemed to confirm the transfer, despite interest from other clubs.
“Malen is a great player,” he said. “Here, he had tough competition with Ollie Watkins, so he played less. I thought he should play more as a striker. Sometimes he played alongside Watkins, so I think he’s finding the right position at Roma and has played every game to show how good he is and to score goals. I’m really happy for him because he’s a good guy, and I hope he keeps scoring.
“It’s a loan with an option to buy, and Roma will probably make it permanent given how well he’s done. For that reason, I want to say again that I’m very happy for him because he’s a good guy and a good player.”