Manchester United January Transfer Rumors Roundup: Sept. 28

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The search for a Paul Scholes heir apparent is still not over, and one name that has come up in that search is buzzy Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik. According to a report from the International Business Times, after the Wesley Sneijder deal never materialized, United turned to Hamsik, and are offering Napoli a hefty £30 million for the attacker.

Sir Alex has made young talent a priority, and among the up-and-comers that have caught his eye is Mateo Kovacic, a 17-year-old phenom midfielder who has been called the 'Croatian Lionel Messi.' Kovacic, who plays for Dinamo Zagreb, had scouts from some of Europe's top clubs including Bayern Munich and Juventus eyeing him when he was just 13 and at Lask Linz's academy and now, according to CrunchSports, Manchester United has been scouting him.

Kovacic told Zagreb-based sports newspaper Sportske Novosti that he was flattered by the attention from the likes of United, but is looking to stay at Dinamo for now: 

"I'm still young and I still have to learn before I will be ready to move on.

It is nice to see your name linked with clubs such as Juventus and Manchester United, but I'm quite calm. My time will come sooner or later."

 

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After not starting for the Red Devils for nearly a year, veteran striker Michael Owen proved he's still got some magic left in his feet, scoring two of Manchester United's three goals in their recent Carling Cup victory over Leeds United. 

A whole lot of people started to take notice of the 31-year-old, and now several big clubs may be positioning January bids for the itinerant goal-scorer, among them Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers and the New York Red Bulls of the MLS, according to CaughtOffside.

Another club in the race for Owen appears to be Arsenal, who, according to CrunchSports, are preparing to make a £1 million bid to bring him to the Emirates and add firepower to their striking team (particularly if Robin van Persie should leave in the winter). 

And as Owen, despite the talent he still possesses, still remains relatively low on the pecking order with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Chicharito, Danny Welbeck and even Dimitar Berbatov ahead of him in the pecking order, it looks like he'll make a move in January for more first-team action, particularly if he wants to return to the England national team.

It's clear that Owen is looking for involvement in a team first, although United would be the ideal situation. As he was quoted as saying in the CrunchSports report:

For more on why Michael Owen has still got it, check out this piece from Bleacher Report's Tim Daniels.

Michael Owen Still Has Gas in the Tank Manchester United News: Michael Owen Proves He Still Has Some Gas in the Tank

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Barry Bannan made headlines last weekend after scoring Aston Villa's only goal in their 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers. But the 21-year-old midfielder had already been something of a rising star thanks to his creativity and ball control, and among those taking notice, reportedly, is Sir Alex Ferguson. 

Although young talent is already at the center of the squad for United and there's no shortage of up-and-coming creative midfielders (Tom Cleverley, Paul Pogba), according to a report from CrunchSports, Manchester United has been 'monitoring' Bannan with the possibility of making a move for him in January. 

Everton's 17-year-old midfield phenom Ross Barkley, another young player with a lot of hype surrounding him, has also been the subject of numerous rumors of a January transfer bid from the Red Devils. 

For more, here's Bleacher Report's Thomas Atzenhoffer on the buzz surrounding Barry Bannan. 

Barry Bannan, Hot Topic Barry Bannan a Hot Topic on Manchester United's Radar