Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
January 2026
Carrick said Solskjaer contacted him to congratulate him after United chose Carrick over Solskjaer following Amorim’s dismissal. United were reported to have considered bringing Solskjaer back, but opted for Carrick, who then started with a 2-0 win over Manchester City and reiterated his focus on raising standards and uniting players and fans.
Elliot Anderson
January 2026
United reportedly think Anderson leans toward a move to City, with both clubs and Chelsea tracking the Forest midfielder, while Forest expect him to stay through January. United are planning a midfield rebuild with a shortlist including Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba. City are also expected to recruit centrally given Rodri’s ongoing fitness concerns after a serious knee injury and limited league starts.
Erling Haaland
January 2026
Haaland was dropped from City’s starting XI after an eight-game run without an open-play goal, despite 20 league goals overall, with Guardiola citing fatigue and the need to refresh him mentally and physically. Guardiola said the schedule and Haaland’s exhaustion drove the decision. Haaland publicly accepted responsibility after recent poor displays and apologised to supporters following City’s losses, saying he lacks answers for his form.
Jack Grealish
January 2026
Reports say Grealish has a suspected stress fracture in his foot that could sideline him for months, threatening his season momentum and World Cup plans. He is expected to see a specialist to confirm severity. The setback could hurt his case for Tuchel’s England squad and complicate Everton’s potential permanent move, despite a productive loan spell of two goals and six assists in 22 appearances.
Howard Webb
January 2026
Webb said officials were correct to book Dalot rather than send him off for a studs-up challenge on Doku that sparked debate. Webb argued the contact was brief and glancing and lacked the speed and intensity typical of serious-foul-play reds, warning that slow motion and freeze frames exaggerate force and distort real-time assessment that referees and VAR must prioritise.
Kobbie Mainoo
January 2026
Mainoo is reportedly no longer considering a January exit after starting under Carrick, following a period of reduced minutes under Amorim. Amorim insisted he picked “best players” and Mainoo was used sparingly, but Carrick started him in his first match and the derby win is now framed as a turning point that cools short-term transfer talk.
Rayan Cherki
January 2026
Evra called out Cherki for disrespecting United after Cherki’s earlier quote about wanting to “kill” United resurfaced following City’s derby defeat. Cherki started on the bench and came on at half-time, but had no meaningful impact as United controlled the game; Evra posted a pointed response online, tying the loss to Cherki’s pre-match bravado.
Marc Guehi
January 2026
Reports say Guehi’s private jet aborted a Manchester landing before touching down safely as he travelled to complete a £20 million move, with the timing adding to Glasner’s public frustration. The aborted landing was attributed to runway disruption, and the transfer was framed as Palace avoiding losing Guehi for free in summer; Glasner said he learned of the sale shortly before a match and criticised the club’s handling.
Lisandro Martinez
January 2026
Martinez invited Scholes and Butt to confront him directly after they questioned his ability to handle Haaland, with Martinez responding that criticism is easy on television but different in person. Pre-match comments suggested Haaland would overpower Martinez, but United’s defence held firm in a derby win; Martinez used the outcome as leverage to dismiss the talk and emphasise focusing on performances.
Oliver Glasner
January 2026
Palace leadership moved to calm sack talk and keep Glasner through the end of his contract, despite his public criticism of the club after losing key players and enduring a long winless run. Glasner described the squad as abandoned after Guehi’s sale and transfer noise around Mateta, and the chairman held talks before deciding continuity was preferred; Palace still involved Glasner in January business and expect a turnaround.
