Frank Onyeka makes Man United transfer admission to Red Devils supporter

Man United have appointed Michael Carrick as interim head coach until the end of the season, with the club legend tasked with steadying the ship following Ruben Amorim’s sacking after just 14 turbulent months in charge.

The Red Devils confirmed Carrick’s return on Tuesday evening, with the 44-year-old replacing Amorim, who departed on January 5 following growing tensions with club leadership.

The Portuguese left behind a dismal 31.9 per cent win record, United’s worst in the Premier League era, after guiding the team to a shocking 15th place finish last season.

Carrick will be supported by former England assistant coach Steve Holland as his number two, alongside Jonathan Woodgate, Travis Binnion, Jonny Evans and Craig Mawson (Sky Sports). The former midfielder made 464 appearances for United between 2006 and 2018, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

United’s hierarchy were impressed by Carrick’s plans for the remainder of the season after holding discussions with him and Ole Gunnar Solskjær following Amorim’s departure (Sky Sports).

The appointment reportedly came after a breakfast meeting involving Sir Alex Ferguson, Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada two days after Amorim’s dismissal set the wheels in motion (ESPN).

Carrick faces an immediate baptism of fire, with his first match being Saturday’s Manchester derby against second-placed City at Old Trafford.

The tactician inherits a team sitting seventh in the Premier League, miles behind leaders Arsenal and fresh from a 2-1 FA Cup third-round defeat to Brighton that condemned United to their shortest season since 1914/1915.

Now, questions surround how Man United will back their man in January, with the Red Devils still firmly in the race for Champions League qualification but need to reinforce certain areas.

Shock reports have suggested they could even turn towards Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer as a long-term replacement for Bruno Fernandes with the club captain’s long-term future uncertain.

Even though Brentford’s Frank Onyeka isn’t a target, considering his fringe player status at the G-tech Community Stadium, that hasn’t stopped the Nigerian from signaling his desire to join United.

Frank Onyeka wants to join Man United after admission to fan

As relayed by Punch Sports in Nigeria, Onyeka has openly admitted his desire to join Man United after being approached by a Red Devils supporter whilst on international duty at AFCON.

The 28-year-old was caught on camera by United fan Hussain Vorajee, who directly asked the defensive midfielder whether he wanted to play for the Old Trafford club.

Onyeka’s response was surprisingly candid.

The Nigeria international joined Brentford from FC Midtjylland in July 2021 following the Bees’ promotion to the Premier League.

However, his playing time has been severely limited this season under manager Keith Andrews, managing just 88 minutes from 6 Premier League appearances. He spent last season on loan at FC Augsburg before returning to west London.

Onyeka has less than 18 months remaining on his contract at Brentford, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at around £6 million.

United previously signed Bees forward Bryan Mbeumo in an intense summer negotiation last July, demonstrating the club’s willingness to do business with Brentford despite their notoriously tough negotiating stance.

The admission came ahead of Nigeria’s AFCON semi-final clash with hosts Morocco, with the Super Eagles midfielder clearly caught up in the excitement of the tournament.

Rather than actively pursuing a transfer, the comments appear to have been part of a friendly exchange with an enthusiastic supporter.

Nevertheless, the jury is very much out on whether United would be interested at this stage, even if he was a fan favourite at Augsburg and nicknamed ‘the tank’.