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Hello and welcome to the Manchester United Transfer News round-up for 4th July 2019. We bring you the top transfer stories of the day involving Manchester United and here are our top five picks for today.
Also Read: Manchester United News and Rumours: July 3, 2019
#5 Manchester United fall further behind in the race to sign de Ligt
It was clear before the end of last season that Manchester United needed a huge summer overhaul to match up to their competition. There are a lot of positions that need attention, but perhaps the biggest problem in the squad is the lack of a world class defender. Victor Lindelof had developed into one of the best defenders of the league, but he urgently required a stellar partner beside him. It was widely expected that United would go all out in the summer for a center back. Sadly, that has hardly been the case.
The Red Devils have failed to attract any of their preferred first choice defenders. Napoli put a hefty price tag on Kalidou Koulibaly and United were reluctant to pay such an exorbitant amount for a 28-year-old. The Red Devils then turned their attention to Ajax's Matthijs de Ligt, but it seems they have been beaten to the signature of the Dutchman.
We revealed in this segment a few days ago that de Ligt had agreed personal terms with Juventus. Now, Sky Sports reveals that Juventus has submitted an opening bid for the Ajax Skipper. It is understood that the bid is around £58.3m, which includes a £49.3m payment upfront and an additional £9m in add-ons.
Ajax are demanding £67.3m for their Skipper, and PSG have already submitted an offer which meets the club's expectations. Juventus, though, are confident that they can get the deal done for less because de Ligt has his heart set on a move to Turin.
The Serie A Champions already have an agreement in place with the player's agent, Mino Raiola, which will see de Ligt earn £10.7m a year. As such, it is clear that the Dutchman is all set to become a Juventus player soon. Negotiations between the two clubs is expected to arrive to a fruitful conclusion in the next few days. As such, it seems that United have missed out on another talented player this summer already.
#4 United in talks with Sporting for £50m Midfielder
Manchester United continue to be linked with a host of midfielders, as Solskjaer targets a midfield revamp this summer. One player who has attracted the imagination of the manager as well as the fans is Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes. United have long been linked with a move for the midfielder, as we have revealed time and again in this segment. And latest reports suggest that the club's interest in the Portuguese is genuine.
Sky Sports reports that Manchester United are very interested in securing the player this summer. Bruno Fernandes' manager has reportedly travelled to the United Kingdom to initiate talks with the club to secure a deal. Interestingly, Fernandes has a release clause of just £31m and there's also a clause in his contract which states that if a club agrees to pay the amount, but Sporting refuses to sell, the Portuguese side will have to pay the player £4.5m!
Despite that, Sporting are believed to be expecting more than £50m for the midfielder. Only time will tell if United will be interested in matching their expectations.
#3 Former United star critical of Paul Pogba's behaviour
Former United star Louis Saha has criticized Pogba for publicly announcing his desire to leave Manchester United. Pogba revealed in an interview in Tokyo that he was open for a new challenge elsewhere, drawing a fair bit of criticism from every quarter. His countryman Saha, too, was hardly impressed. In an interview to The Newspaper, Saha had this to say
I am a bit annoyed by that, but what can you do?
I struggle to understand why players express themselves (in this way). As much as they want to move, I understand that, but I don't think it is something that should be done. I am especially gutted because he is a massive player for the club.
I hope that he can still remain (with United), but it is difficult to see that because when you express something like this, it becomes a difficult situation to manage. It is not going to be easy for Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer).
#2 Inter Milan still interested in signing Romelu Lukaku
Inter Milan are still very interested in signing Romelu Lukaku, according to the player's agent Federico Pastorello. The Italian had a meeting with Inter Milan director on Wednesday night and revealed that the two clubs are in talks over a potential transfer.
It was just a chat. I spoke with the director [Giuseppe Marotta] to understand the club's intentions with the player. They will take the decisions, we can't put a time frame on it.
What is clear is that if Inter want the player, they will need to get a move on.
Inter are seriously trying to sign him, they are all out for him. Goals are not always there to be reached, but it's a declared target. At the moment, it remains a complicated dream.
Lukaku is apparently new Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte's number one target this summer. However, the two clubs have failed to reach an agreement regarding the Belgian's transfer.
#1 Aberdeen sign former Manchester United striker
Former Manchester United striker James Wilson has joined Aberdeen in a 2-year deal. The player spent last season with the Scottish club and scored 4 goals from 32 appearances. The 23-year-old was among a host of players who were released by Manchester United this summer. The player appeared delighted to seal a deal with the club where he had shown flashes of his old form last season. He said
There is a lot of money in football these days and sometimes that can be the deciding factor.
But for me, at this point, the big thing was about being content, comfortable and happy and I am just ready to work for the team I have been integrated to and I look forward to that.
The group of players is brilliant. I really enjoyed working with the staff and everyone behind the scenes. I haven't got a bad word to say, that is why I'm back here.
There were other offers but this was a fairly easy decision for me to make.
