"United need him more than City" – John Barnes urges Manchester United to make a move for Pep Guardiola's target

Liverpool legend John Barnes has urged Manchester United to defeat Manchester City in their pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Kovacic, 29, has been a crucial starter for the Stamford Bridge outfit since arriving from Real Madrid initially on loan and then on a permanent basis for £40 million in 2019. So far, he has helped his club lift a total of four trophies.

A right-footed technical operator renowned for his vision and dribbling, the 93-cap Croatia star is in the final 14 months of his contract. Manchester City, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are said to be keen to snap him up.

When asked to name the apt future club for Kovacic, Barnes told BonusCodeBets:

"Mateo Kovacic could fit into any of those clubs because he's truly a fantastic player. He is very good on the ball, he works hard as a number 6 or as a number 8, so he's adaptable in a number of midfield positions."

Claiming that the Red Devils are more in need of the ex-Inter Milan player, Barnes added:

"He reminds me of Ilkay Gundogan so he could fit in at Manchester City and Manchester United. United need him more than City as they need to strengthen in midfield but he might go to City for the highest level."

Should Kovacic join Erik ten Hag's side in the near future, he would become a vital starter in a double pivot alongside Casemiro. He would provide his manager with a good selection headache with Christian Eriksen also keen to shine.

Overall, the 2018 FIFA World Cup finalist has registered six goals and 15 assists in 219 matches for Chelsea.

Manchester United star urged to depart club and join domestic rivals

During an interaction with Football Insider, ex-Tottenham Hotspur star Alan Hutton was queried whether Spurs would be a better option than Nottingham Forest for Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson. He responded:

"It would definitely be a better option. You would rather be at a team at the top end of the league than the bottom. We thought he was going to take over from [David] de Gea at Manchester United, that did not work. It is all about playing now, he is ready for it. So, if he is going to be number one, I think you would choose Tottenham."

Henderson, 26, joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan deal last summer after failing to secure enough first-team minutes at his parent club. So far, he has registered six clean sheets in 20 games for Forest this season.

For the Red Devils, Henderson has recorded 13 clean sheets in 29 appearances across all competitions.