Man Utd star ‘NOT going to AFCON’ in order to seal January transfer move despite talks over new deal being ‘underway’

MANCHESTER UNITED star Hannibal Mejbri is NOT heading to the Africa Cup of Nations in January, according to reports.

That is because the Tunisian midfielder, 20, will use the start of 2024 to search for a loan move away from Old Trafford.

Hannibal Mejbri is looking to seal a loan move away from Old Trafford in JanuaryGetty

Hannibal has already been capped 27 times for his country since making his debut in 2021.

But he was not included in Tunisia‘s squad for their World Cup qualifiers in November.

And according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, he will miss the Africa Cup of Nations – which gets underway in Ivory Coast on January 13.

Hannibal has made 10 appearances for Man Utd so far this season – four of which have been starts.

His first goal for the Red Devils’ senior side came in September in a 3-1 defeat to Brighton.

Now he is set to search for more game time amid interest from three European clubs – while talks over a new deal with Man Utd get underway.

The trio of sides monitoring Hannibal are Sevilla, Lyon and Freiburg.

The midfielder, whose Man Utd deal runs until the end of the season with the option of an additional year, spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Championship side Birmingham.

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He played 41 games for the Blues, scoring one goal and providing six assists.

After returning to Old Trafford in the summer, he did not feature until he came off the bench to score against Brighton.

That cameo earned him back-to-back starts against Burnley in the Premier League and Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.

But he has played just 15 minutes of league football since September.