James Garner in action for Everton (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Surprise return: Man United exploring re-signing one of their former players

Originally posted on Caught Offside | By Mark Brus | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 4:09 AM ET

Manchester United are reportedly exploring a surprise potential return for Everton midfielder and former Red Devils youngster James Garner.

The 24-year-old came up through Man Utd’s academy and ended up playing just seven games for their first-team before moving on.

Garner has since shown some improvement at Everton and it seems there are now some people at United who’d be interested in bringing him back to Old Trafford.

That’s according to a report from United In Focus, with transfer expert Graeme Bailey stating that United are exploring the conditions for a potential Garner return.

Manchester United considering surprise move to re-sign James Garner

This will come as a surprise to some United fans, but it seems Garner is one of their midfield targets at the moment, alongside some big names.

Sky Sports have linked MUFC with Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson, and those would surely be popular moves for some in-form players who look like having big futures in the game.

Garner, by contrast, comes as a bit of a surprise, but it seems he’s at least somewhere on their list of options.

He is, however, nearing the end of his Everton contract, so that might be one reason to keep him under consideration as a cheap option.

James Garner transfer situation explained

“United are aware of James Garner’s situation, they always keep an eye on academy graduates and he is playing particularly well. I am told he has shown up well during reports within the recruitment department,” Bailey said.

“He is enjoying a brilliant season with Everton under David Moyes, and that has seen Garner emerge on the radar of a number of clubs – United included.

“However, it is highly unlikely he ends the campaign as a free agent, with Everton talks progressing.”

It seems Garner could still sign a new deal at Everton, so it will be interesting to see how that impacts United’s plans for the former England Under-21 international.

This article first appeared on Caught Offside and was syndicated with permission.

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