Man Utd now favourites to land £50m Amad upgrade

With Nottingham Forest next on the agenda for Manchester United, it’s worth casting an eye back to the previous meeting between the two clubs, as the visitors salvaged a 2-2 draw at the City Ground.

Having been pegged back early in the second half, then-boss Ruben Amorim saw his blushes spared by the brilliance of Amad late in the day, the Ivorian rifling home a stunning volley from just outside the area.

Operating as a wing-back in Amorim’s much-maligned 3-4-2-1 set-up, Amad appeared the key beneficiary of that approach, notably registering assists for Bryan Mbeumo away at Anfield and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, either side of his Nottingham magic.

Frustratingly, the 23-year-old has only scored once more since then, while he hasn’t contributed a single goal or assist in 2026 so far at club level, enduring a real dip in form following his return from AFCON in January.

Talk of a subsequent summer exit, amid interest from former club Sunderland, appears premature, although the diminutive talent could be looking over his shoulder if key deals are secured by the Old Trafford hierarchy.

Man Utd leading the race to sign £50m Premier League starlet

Talk of transfer business can now be ramped up amid the news that Michael Carrick is close to being handed the reins on a permanent basis, having been offered a two-year deal with the option of an extra 12 months.

It remains to be seen if there will be an official announcement either prior to or during Sunday’s meeting, although either way, settling on Carrick as Amorim’s successor should aid in United’s transfer dealings, with reported targets now aware of who they might be playing under next season.

The priority, both for INEOS and for the Englishman, is on the midfield search, although, as per SportsBoomthe Red Devils could also be looking to strengthen the attacking unit, amid their interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers starlet, Mateus Mane.

As per the report, Forest boss Vitor Pereira, once of Wolves, is keen for a reunion with the 18-year-old this summer, although both United and Liverpool are also in the equation.

Indeed, it is said that the two rivals are actually the ‘favourites’ to sign the teenager, following the Old Gold’s drop into the Championship, with Rob Edwards set to cash in to utilise those funds elsewhere.

In terms of what the asking price would actually be, a £50m fee has been mooted previously.

How Mane compares to Amad this season in the Premier League

As noted above, Amad’s emotional return to the Stadium of Light last weekend had come amid talk of a possible permanent move back to Wearside, having enjoyed such a fruitful loan spell with the Black Cats back in 2022/23.

Considering he only penned a new deal until 2030 last year, there shouldn’t be a rush to discard the ex-Atalanta speedster, particularly after his haul of 21 goals and assists last season.

That said, Amad’s status as a regular fixture in the side could well be under threat, particularly if a talent like Mane joins the party, with the United man’s record making for grim reading in 2025/26 so far.

In all, he’s scored and assisted just four goals in the Premier League, while creating only five ‘big chances’ and missing six ‘big chances’, enduring a stark decline when it comes to his end product.

Perhaps that is merely to do with confidence, or tired legs post-AFCON, or even the change in the dugout, although it doesn’t bode well that even a teenage Mane has almost bettered his return for a relegated Wolves side.

Having started just 17 league games, Mane has scored and assisted three times so far, while Amad’s tally of four has come from 25 top-flight starts.

A shining light in a difficult season at Molineux, the in-demand talent was particularly impressive when United came up against Wolves back in December, proving a real livewire in that 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

In all, he attempted six dribbles, won eight ground duels and completed 100% of his attempted crosses, having also won five fouls as the hosts simply didn’t know how to contain him.

In Amad’s case, at 18, he had just sealed his move to Manchester, yet it took until 2023/24 for him to truly emerge as a part of the first-team furniture, albeit with his big breakthrough coming under Amorim the year after.

For Mane to already be making waves at Premier League level is a testament to why he might even be the bigger talent, with the interest in his services no surprise as clubs look to pounce on Wolves’ misfortune.

At the centre of an international tussle, before opting for Portugal over England, he is a player with a “really high ceiling“, in the view of Edwards, ensuring he could be a dream first signing of the permanent Carrick regime.