According to The Manchester Evening News, James Maddison wants to join Manchester United.

What's the word?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested the likes of Maddison and Jack Grealish are on the Red Devils' radar ahead of a potential summer move.

And now, The Manchester Evening News claim the £54m-rated midfielder is keen on making the move to Old Trafford, and that a source close to the 23-year-old had revealed he "would have been at United years ago" if it was up to him.

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It's further suggested that even despite the arrival of Sporting CP man Bruno Fernandes in the final week of the January transfer window, that has not affected United's interest in either Maddison or Grealish.

Pulling power

This is quite the statement on United's reported pulling power.

Much has been made about the state of the Red Devils' current plight, with the Manchester side on course for yet another season without getting their hands on the Premier League title.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, United have lost their place at the summit of English football, and the big question surrounding that has been whether they could still lure the top players to join them. Speaking on Sky Sports (via Goal) last year, Red Devils legend Roy Keane wondered about the club's ability to attract players.

"Which players out there, which brilliant players out there that are available will want to come to United? I always thought that when I was a player and up until the last two years, if I spoke to a player who had a chance to go to Man Utd I would say, 'you've got to go.' You're on about now players wanting to win the big prizes, then you look at Man Utd. If you're a top player you will not want to come to Man Utd because there are better options out there in terms of winning trophies."

But Maddison's reported wish to join United even in such a period where they are nowhere near where they once were, just goes to show that the Red Devils' name still means a huge amount.

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There is still a certain lure and attraction to the club that will never go away, and that will ensure it remains an attractive destination for a lot of players. Things may not be going great on the football pitch what with the side still outside of the top four right now, but they certainly have some positives off it.

Meanwhile, Michael Carrick has hailed this ace's performances.