Serie A giants to rival Manchester United in race to sign 28-year-old Barcelona star: Reports

Juventus are reportedly set to battle Manchester United for Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen's signature in the upcoming transfer window. The 28-year-old arrived at Barca on a free transfer from his boyhood club Chelsea in 2022, on a four-year contract with a buyout clause of €500 million.

Christensen's journey at Camp Nou started off well, with the Danish starting in 28 out of the 32 appearances he made in his debut season at Barcelona. He contributed to 15 clean sheets and registered one goal and one assist in the 2022-23 campaign for the Catalan club.

However, despite having some impressive performances, Andreas Christensen's place in Barca's starting XI was never solidified due to his injury issues.

The Chelsea academy graduate has been able to make only one appearance for the Blaugrana this season, which was in their first LaLiga fixture of the ongoing campaign. Since then, he has been out of action due to Achilles tendon irritation, missing 24 matches for the club.

Even though Christensen has been on the sidelines for a while now, it seems his potential and past performances have left an impression, attracting attention from top clubs including Juventus and Manchester United.

Spanish media outlet Fichajes.net reports that Juventus are keen on bringing Andreas Christensen to Turin to strengthen their defense line. The Italian club has conceded 15 goals and maintained 10 clean sheets in 18 Serie A matches so far this season.

Manchester United's reported interest in Andreas Christensen also comes amid their struggles in their defense, with summer signing Leny Yoro displaying inconsistent form.

The Red Devils are having one of their worst runs this season and are 14th on the Premier League table with 22 points in 19 matches. Head coach Ruben Amorim is expected to make additions to the squad in the January transfer window.

While speaking to Danish network TV 2 Sport recently, Christensen shrugged off the rumors suggesting his potential departure from Barcelona. He said (via Metro):

"You can’t do anything but smile when you don’t hear anything. I can only speak about the conversations I’ve had with the club and so far they’ve only told me that I’ll recover well and that they’re looking forward to my return."

Overall, Andreas Christensen has contributed to 30 clean sheets and registered four goals and three assists in 75 appearances across competitions for Barcelona. With his current contract at the Catalan club expiring in the summer of 2026, it remains to be seen where the defender will ply his trade next year.

---

Real Betis reportedly set to make offer for Manchester United's Antony

La Liga club Real Betis are reportedly set to present an offer for Manchester United winger Antony in the upcoming January transfer window. The Brazilian star's current contract at Old Trafford runs until the summer of 2027.

Antony signed for Manchester United in a £86 million move from Ajax in the summer of 2022. Since his arrival, the 24-year-old's performance for the Red Devils has been underwhelming. He has started in just three of his 12 appearances across competitions for the Red Devils this season while registering only one goal.

Spanish outlet ABC de Sevilla reports that Real Betis are keen on acquiring Antony's signature in the January transfer window. Manchester United are reportedly open to considering parting ways with the right-winger, both on a permanent or temporary basis.

Overall, Antony has recorded 12 goals and five assists in 94 matches across competitions for Manchester United.