Manchester United have recalled several of their young players from loans during this transfer window.
That includes 19-year-old Scotland international Emma Watson, who returned from her spell at Crystal Palace earlier in the month.
The midfielder has now been linked with a move to Tigres in Mexico.
And on Tuesday, United head coach Marc Skinner told the press that it would be a loan deal, not a permanent one, but that he was unsure if it had yet been confirmed.
Emma Watson is a fantastic player, says Skinner
But Skinner was quick to add that she had a future at Manchester United.
“It doesn’t mean that she’s done at Manchester United at all,” he said. “The reality is we wanted her to go out on loan to play at Palace. She didn’t play as much as she wanted, but she was injured during that time as well. So Emma has had rotten luck with injuries, but [she is a] fantastic player.
“So no, she’s not done at Manchester United. The aim is always for her to go and get that experience to come back. With Emma, it might just be a little bit later. So this is a different type of experience for her as well, which I think will also help her grow. But what’s clear [is] in this next block [of games] we need her to play because, as I say, I want her to realise the great talent that she is.
“This [loan] is just a different strategy to try and provoke the things we need to see and get her the game time she needs.”
Manchester United: young players recalled from loans
Watson suffered an ACL injury a month after signing for United in 2023. Since then, she has also had a loan spell at Everton towards the end of the 2024-25 season, and was due to spend all of 2025-26 at Palace.
Evie Rabjohn and Keira Barry have also been recalled from their loan spells at Sunderland, with Lucy Newell recalled from hers at Birmingham City.
