Man Utd weigh up buy-back clause for £5m star as Arsenal and Newcastle battle to sign Ghana international

The second international break of the campaign comes just seven games into the new season, but already many managers from around the Premier League are putting plans in place for January as they prepare for a poignant month of activity that can either make or break their team’s season.

Manchester United once again find themselves at the centre of debate for all the wrong reasons after a lacklustre start where once again recruitment has come under the microscope.

The Red Devils spent £182m on new talent whilst receiving £88m for player sales but so far are yet to see any signs of improvement out on the pitch. 

One of the departures that went under the radar this summer was the sale of Alvaro Fernandez for just £5m after a successful loan spell at Benfica was made permanent.

The 21-year-old left-back, who arrived from Real Madrid’s academy, failed to make a single appearance for Erik ten Hag’s side in four years despite winning the Denzil Haroun Reserve-Team Player of the Year award, but was tipped to have a bright future after steady loan spells at Preston North End, Granada and most recently Benfica.

Since moving to Lisbon, Fernandez has racked up 10 appearances across all competitions and is already emerging as a target for some of Europe’s top clubs including Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Manchester United have joined the race to re-secure their former star’s signature, according to The Mirror and are considering activating a buy-back clause inserted in the player’s contract.

The Red Devils are currently without long-term absentee Luke Shaw through injury while Noussair Mazraoui could facetime on the sidelines with a minor procedure for palpitations.

The 3AM Verdict: Manchester United’s work in the transfer market has come under scrutiny in recent years and this is once again an example of poor business by allowing a youngster with seemingly plenty of potential to leave for such a small fee.

Luke Shaw has been a great servant to the Red Devils but has been prone to injuries in recent years while Noussair Mazraoui has so far been the club’s most effective addition in the early weeks.

On paper, given Shaw’s injury record, it’s a signing that would make sense if the price is right. However, it remains something of a mystery why he was allowed to leave for so cheap in the first place if they thought he had so much potential.

Newcastle United battle Arsenal for Bournemouth ace 

Newcastle United and Arsenal are both emerging as contenders to sign in-form Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in the January transfer window, according to reports from TeamTalk.

Semenyo scored eight goals and provided two assists in the league last season and is rapidly emerging as one of the Cherries most important players after Dominic Solanke’s big-money departure to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Ghana international has started the campaign brightly with three goals and one assist in seven games and caught the eye with a hugely impressive performance against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle at the Vitality Stadium.

3AM verdict: Newcastle United are in desperate need of a natural right sided attacker to strengthen their European push and it remains one of the only areas that Eddie Howe has failed to strengthen since arriving in November 2021.

Semenyo at 24 years of age has bags of potential to improve and would offer Newcastle a different outlet moving forward due to his pace and unpredictability when running at defenders.

Arsenal could also benefit from his services next summer, but with loanee Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka both competing on the right hand side it’s hard to see him getting regular football at the Emirates Stadium straight away.