Man Utd Transfer News Today: Romano de Jong REVELATION, next midfield TARGET and €80m striker LATEST
Man Utd have so far failed in their long-running pursuit of Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, but until now we did not know how hard they tried. Thanks to Fabrizio Romano, we do now.
Last summer United did everything to try to persuade Barcelona (and de Jong) that his future lay at Old Trafford with a move to the Premier League.
That pursuit of course came to nothing - De Jong is still a Barcelona player and reportedly happy at Camp Nou. But the club's president Joan Laporta has hinted that one club - almost certainly United - went to extreme lengths to try and get their man.
MORE: Premier League summer transfers: ALL the done deals
Ace transfer guru Romano reported on his Twitter feed that Laporta told a Spanish TV station Barca received a bid of €100m for Dutchman de Jong last summer.
He said: “Last year we had €100m offer for Frenkie de Jong… and we did well not selling him. There are players who should not be on the market."
Now at first glance that suggests Frenkie is not for sale now, but this is the transfer market. We need to decode everything. Barca have massive financial pressures and pretty much everybody is for sale.
Maybe a case of Laporta setting expectations right from the start? Now we wait and see if United raise an eyebrow and bite.
Barça president Laporta: “Last year we had €100m offer for Frenkie de Jong… and we did well not selling him”. 🚨🇳🇱 #FCB
“There are players who should not be on the market”, told @OnzeTv3. pic.twitter.com/fVaa0keFIK— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 29, 2023
Mount details REVEALED after £60m Man Utd move AGREED
At last, a signing for Man Utd and a major one at that. Mason Mount will become a Red Devil next week.
Now the negotiations are done, all the juicy details are starting to filter out into the wider world.
United have agreed a £60m package with Chelsea to sign the 24-year-old England midfielder and he will sign a five-year contract.
Mount agreed personal terms with United some time ago so no worries there. Everything at done, and he will sign following a medical next week. His contract is reportedly worth a cool £250,000 per week.
Second midfield star TARGETED by Man Utd after Mount deal
If you thought the signing of Mount ended ten Hag's midfield transfer business this summer, think again.
Per our correspondent Jacque Talbot, we can exclusively reveal that the Dutch manager is targeting a SECOND star midfielder to bolster his squad for the 2023-24 season.
Man Utd tipped to bid for €80m Benfica star Ramos
Man Utd will go after Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos by matching the Portuguese club's €80m asking price - according to club president Rui Costa.
The 22-year-old hitman is one of Europe's most sought-after forwards after grabbing 27 goals in a terrific 2022-23 season.
And Costa told Correio da Manha that he expects Erik ten Hag to come up with the right financial number to prise Ramos away from Lisbon.
Man Utd Takeover: Sir Jim Ratcliffe bid 'dead in the water'
The Man Utd takeover saga rumbles on, but it appears we could have a winner. Or at least a very firm front runner. That would be Sheikh Jassim.
The Qatar bidder appears to have closed in on winning the battle for the world's biggest club with his main rival Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to miss out.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Ratcliffe's bid is 'dead in the water' because while he has structured an offer to buy out the Glazers (they own 69%), he is not offering anything to the remaining 31% of minority shareholders.
Man Utd eye 'next Enzo Fernandez
Manchester United are keeping an eye on Benfica starlet Joao Neves, according to a report.
The Red Devils are looking to build for the future with Erik ten Hag keen to ensure that there is a firm foundation for upcoming success in place. This means that United are looking at younger players or ones about to enter their peak.
A deal for Mount has already been agreed, while 21-year-old Moises Caicedo and two 22-year-olds from the Eredivisie, Taylor Booth and Mohammed Kudus, remain under consideration. Unsurprisingly, then, there are also other younger players being linked with a move to Old Trafford.
The latest one is a talented Portuguese starlet who could become the next Enzo Fernandez.
According to Di Marzio, Manchester United 'like' 18-year-old Benfica midfielder Joao Neves. The youngster burst onto the scene last season after the big-money January sale of Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea in a deal worth an eye-watering €121 million.
Man Utd to fight Chelsea for David de Gea successor
David de Gea is set to leave Man Utd today (Friday), and the Reds are set to battle Chelsea in a bid to sign the man they believe can be his successor.
That man is Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez - and we can exclusively reveal that he is a target for Erik ten Hag.
Chelsea are also interested in the goalkeeper - with compatriot Mauricio Pochettino said to be keen on the World Cup winner.
Ten Hag sees Martinez as the perfect replacement for de Gea, whose future at Old Trafford looks in limbo with the club reportedly going back on their contract terms with the Spaniard.
Villa keeper Martinez wants a move away from the Midlands to play for a club in the Champions League, we understand.
Crucial day in Andre Onana race as Man Utd set to bid?
Today (Friday) is a crucial day in the race to sign Inter Milan goakeeper Andre Onana.
With the aforementioned de Gea out of contract, Man Utd and Inter officials are expected to meet on the party island of Ibiza to discuss whether Onana might replace him at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag is keen to be reunited with his former Ajax shot stopper, but Inter want a fee of £50m and that could be a stumbling block. Watch this space.
Kim Min-jae details REVEALED as Man Utd miss out on 'Monster'
The news everybody feared is now real - Man Utd have missed out on the man Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti calls 'the best defender in the world'.
South Korean star Kim Min-jae is officially leaving the Serie side after helping them to a first Serie A title in 33 years, but not as many expected with Old Trafford as his destination.
Instead the player will join German giants Bayern Munich. The fee, with Bayern triggering his release clause, will be €58m while Kim will treble his Napoli salary by moving to Bavaria.
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