Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka admits he would like to play for Manchester United, although his focus right now is on the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 28-year-old is into the semi-finals of AFCON with Nigeria, taking on host nation Morocco on Wednesday night for a place in the final.
Senegal take on Egypt in the other semi-final, with the showpiece on Sunday January 18 in Rabat.
Onyeka, who has 40 caps for Nigeria and started the quarter-final win over Algeria on Saturday, was asked by a fan in Morocco if he fancied playing for the Red Devils.
Choosing the non-diplomatic route, the midfielder replied: ‘Of course I want to play for Manchester United!’
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Unfortunately for the Nigerian there seems little chance that Manchester United will reciprocate the interest.
Onyeka joined Brentford from Danish side Midtjylland in 2021 and has since made 87 appearances for them in all competitions.
He fell out of favour with the Bees under Thomas Frank, spending last season on loan in Germany with FC Augsburg.
However, he is back with the Premier League club this season and has made nine appearances in all competitions under Keith Andrews.
Manchester United are looking for a new midfielder and will likely make a move for one in the summer, but it would be a surprise to many if Onyeka’s phone was to ring.
The Red Devils were heavily linked with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba over the summer, but no deal was done for the Cameroon international.
The 22-year-old remains a target for Manchester United, with the Seagulls reportedly wanting as much as £100m for his signature.
Baleba admitted the speculation of a move to Old Trafford piled the pressure on him this season, speaking ahead of AFCON, he said: ‘I don’t think it affected me. But I had a lot of pressure on me.
‘When I started the season, I wanted to [have] the same performances as last season. Every day I try to work hard and to get [back] to my level.
‘Did I put too much pressure on myself? Yes, I think so, but I think that’s good.’
In an interview with The Argus, Brighton chairman Bloom explained: ‘I don’t think Baleba was a saga.
‘There was interest from Manchester United, and we said that he wasn’t available this summer and they went away. So we’ve had many bigger sagas in the past.’
Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton have also been touted as possible central midfield signings at Old Trafford in the summer.
Ruben Neves could also be an addition in the current transfer window, as he is available much cheaper than the other targets, believed to be for sale for £20m from Al-Hilal.
