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Man Utd are among the clubs keeping tabs on the situation of Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari, according to reports.

The Swedish international is out of contract at the end of the season, and talkSPORT claim that there are “fears he will not sign a new deal.”

There is an option to extend Ayari’s stay until 2028, but Brighton would still need to consider selling him either in January or next summer.

With that being the case, talkSPORT report that the Red Devils and Arsenal are “on alert” as they weigh up potential bids for the midfielder.

Ayari will still not be sold on the cheap

The Seagulls faced a similar situation with Jan Paul van Hecke last summer. The Dutchman had less than twelve months left on his contract at the Amex.

However, Tottenham still ended up paying £52m for the centre-back, so it would not be a surprise if Ayari’s asking price is pretty high as well.

Do Man Utd need another midfielder?

While Ayari’s apparent availability has caught the attention of United’s recruitment team, there is no guarantee that a formal offer will be made for the player.

The 23-year-old is usually deployed as a no.8 by Brighton, which is not a position that Michael Carrick‘s side are short of options for.

Kobbie Mainoo, Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba, and Youri Tielemans are all in the first-team squad, along with the injured Manuel Ugarte.

If the Red Devils do go into the transfer market in January, you would expect them to sign a left-back or a striker, rather than another central midfielder. Ayari is undoubtedly a very talented player, having had an excellent start to the 2026/27 campaign, but he may not end up at Old Trafford.