Manchester United aims to poach Liverpool's youth talent, a young Musiala! Newcastle rejects Guimarães offer, demands higher price.

Manchester United and Liverpool have not directly traded first-team players for decades; transfers involving Paul Ince and Michael Owen each went through intermediaries—Inter Milan and Newcastle United. Heinze once attempted such a controversial direct move, angering the Red Devils and being firmly rejected. However, youth player transfers between the two clubs have occurred frequently; United previously recruited Ethan Ennis, and now the Red Devils are targeting Vincent Joseph.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has always been keen on youth development "scratch cards," seeking young talents, and has already initiated negotiations with Joseph's agent to actively advance his move to Manchester United. The Red Devils invited Joseph to visit Carrington training ground earlier this year and are now accelerating efforts to sign him.

Joseph is only 16 years old, but Liverpool highly regards him; "Anfield Watch" once compared him to Bayern Munich's Musiala, which is certainly exaggerated. However, Joseph is at least as versatile as Musiala, capable of playing as a striker, No. 10, or winger.

Joseph is eligible to represent Germany, but currently plays for England's youth national team; he also served as captain of Liverpool's U15 squad. If United can secure him, it would be another blow to a rival's youth system; Ratcliffe has already poached Jack and Tyler Fletcher from Manchester City and signed Chido Obi and Eden Haven from Arsenal.

Even if Joseph joins, he still has a long way to go before playing for Manchester United's first team. The Red Devils plan to invest heavily in squad building this summer, with midfield being a key area Ratcliffe aims to upgrade. Newcastle United's Bruno Guimarães has been closely linked with United this week.

Rumors suggest United held deep negotiations with Guimarães' agent, but English media reveals Newcastle intends to reject the Red Devils' offer for this 28-year-old Brazilian midfielder. Guimarães is the "Magpies" captain, joined from Lyon in 2022 for £40 million, and has played a crucial role.

Guimarães is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, unavailable since February, only returning this week after completing rehabilitation training in Brazil. Statistics show Newcastle won only 2 of 16 Premier League matches Guimarães missed over 4 years, including the recent 2-1 victory over United! United veteran Casemiro recommended Guimarães to the club as his ideal replacement.

However, "talkSPORT" reports that although United favors Guimarães, Newcastle says he is not for sale. Newcastle even approached Guimarães hoping to persuade him to renew his contract and stay. Currently, Guimarães' contract runs until 2028, and Eddie Howe's team still holds control.

Brazil ESPN states United may need to pay more than €80 million (£69 million) to possibly acquire Guimarães. Snatching players from St James' Park is never easy; negotiations between United and Newcastle are not progressing smoothly.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe strongly denies claims that Guimarães is in deep negotiations with United, particularly displeased with the timing of rumors, as ninth-placed Newcastle still strives for European qualification next season.

Eddie Howe said: "I don't want to respond rudely, as it's clearly not the occasion to discuss such matters. I can say such reports are nonsense. Suggesting our captain is negotiating with another club is also highly disrespectful to Bruno (Guimarães). Bruno is fully committed to our team, he is our captain, wholly dedicated to the club's work. Currently injured, his sole goal is to recover quickly."

Regarding Guimarães' summer transfer situation, Howe stated: "Is this a problem for us? Possibly not, but it is unpleasant. We certainly don't want players distracted; I don't know how much gossip they can withstand. In my view, it's not time to consider this now. Wait until summer, then we can better understand these reports."