Manchester United Transfer News: Most Likely January Deals Amid Latest Rumours

Marc Bartra's future with Barcelona remains unclear, opening the door for a possible move to Manchester United in January. Meanwhile, Ben Pearson is on the verge of joining Bournemouth, according to the latest reports.

The Daily Mirror's Ed Malyon previously reported the Red Devils lead the race to sign Bartra from the Blaugrana, and it now seems almost certain the centre-back will leave the Camp Nou in 2016.

Marca's Xavi Hernandez believes Barcelona would rather wait until summer to sell him, but a transfer seems inevitable:

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Nonetheless, his happiness is not complete, given that his situation at Barcelona is leading him to think in terms of a future elsewhere sooner rather than later.

If things do not change, Bartra will leave in 2016. His contract runs until June 2017, but the club management has not shown any interest in extending it, and so both sides think that a transfer is the best solution.

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Per Hernandez, Barcelona don't have the financial ability to bring in a solid replacement should Bartra leave in January, which could complicate any deal. But the 24-year-old has started just three Liga matches this season, so his exit wouldn't be a major disaster for the Blaugrana, per WhoScored.com.

Bartra is stuck behind Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Thomas Vermaelen and Jeremy Mathieu in the pecking order despite looking more than solid in his limited action this season.

Doug Benc/Associated Press

The Masia graduate joined the senior squad in 2010 and looked like a future superstar in his first years with the side, but his growth has been stunted by a lack of first-team opportunities. Similar to full-back Martin Montoya, he needs a change of scenery to get his career back on track.

As you can see in the video below, he has shown plenty of flashes of his impressive talent:

Like most defenders who come through La Masia, Bartra is a confident passer who loves to have the ball at his feet, but he also shows excellent vision and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

Not overly physical, he relies on strong positional play and technique to stop defenders rather than just muscling them off the ball. He has impressive athletic tools for a defender, which allow him to keep up with quicker, smaller forwards.

Because of his lack of minutes, he would need some time to find his form should he move to Old Trafford, but he would make for a strong depth option with the potential to be much more with United. The Red Devils have suffered their fair share of defensive injuries this season, and adding a cheap, experienced player with upside could only help the squad.

Bartra could also move forward and play as a holding midfielder, and that versatility would make him even more valuable.

OLI SCARFF/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Manchester United have reportedly agreed to a deal with Bournemouth for Pearson, a 20-year-old academy graduate who has spent the 2015-16 season so far on loan with Barnsley.

Pearson has impressed in the past few months and will now join up with the Cherries, who will pay the Red Devils £1 million for his services, per the Sun's Alan Nixon.

The midfielder has been a regular member of England's youth sides but never progressed to United's senior squad despite flashing tantalising potential.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

The decision to sell Pearson permanently is a bit puzzling, as he's still quite young and has shown enough potential to warrant more patience. While he's not the prospect James Wilson is, Pearson offers enough upside to believe he could become a member of the senior squad, and a return of £1 million seems low after all the effort the club has put into developing him.

Manager Louis van Gaal has called up several academy players during his tenure, but his lack of trust in some of its players has been evidenced by Wilson's loan to Brighton Hove and Albion at a time the Red Devils desperately need goals. Pearson's sale would illustrate Van Gaal's preference to instead use the transfer market to strengthen his squad.

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