Manchester United and Arsenal are set to miss out on Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel, who looks to be joining rivals Tottenham.
United had been linked with signing Tel, who would have provided Ruben Amorim with a replacement for Marcus Rashford who has signed for Aston Villa on loan.
There had been reports a few days ago that said that the Frenchman decided to reject a move to Spurs after they agreed a £50m transfer fee with Bayern Munich. However, according to Sky Sports Tel has made a U-turn and is on his way to London to reportedly sign for Spurs.
This comes as a blow for both Manchester United and Arsenal, who had been linked with Tel in recent weeks as they both aim to sign a striker this month.
Tel would have been United’s second signing of the January window, but now that it looks as though he’s moving to North London, United will most likely look to pursue a different striker ahead of the 11pm deadline.
Manchester United also miss out on Nkunku
The Red Devils have also been linked with Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku, who looked set to leave Stamford Bridge this month after falling out of favour with manager Enzo Maresca.
However, recent reports have said that United have been priced out of any deal for Nkunku, who now looks to be staying at Chelsea in a surprise move.
According to the Athletic, Nkunku will now be staying at Chelsea, despite making just three starts in the Premier League this season. Seeing as both Tel and Nkunku won’t be moving to Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim will have to look elsewhere.
United could struggle to replace Marcus Rashford
After the Red Devils finally let Rashford leave, it was believed that before the transfer deadline, they would be able to find a replacement.
As Spurs had been out of a deal for Tel, many saw the Frenchman making the move to Old Trafford. However, now that he is out of the question, there are very limited options for United in the remaining hours.
It could mean that they have to spend the rest of the season relying on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee for goals, something that hasn’t worked so far for Amorim.