Manchester United send Paul Scholes and Phil Neville to scout Atletico Madrid’s Koke

Atletico Madrid’s midfielder Koke celebrates after scoring during the Spanish league football match Malaga CF vs Club Atletico de Madrid

Manchester United have sent coaching duo Paul Scholes and Phil Neville to run the rule over Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, as they plot a big-money summer bid for the Spanish international, according to the Daily Express.

Koke has been a long term United target after catching the eye of former manager David Moyes and the Red Devils are going ahead with their transfer plans for next season, despite having not a permanent replacement in place for the 2014/15 campaign as yet.

Louis van Gaal is rumoured to be coming to Manchester United and has reportedly given United chiefs his own shopping list, but Scholes and Neville are believed to have been heavily impressed with the display of Koke as they watched his Atletico side dismantle Chelsea to progress to the Champions League final.

They may find one obstacle in their pursuit of the player however, and that is the player himself, who is believed to be uninterested in a move away from Vicente Calderon.

The academy graduate at Atletico only signed a new contract with Los Rojiblancos in January and while contracts mean very little in Spain due to the persistent release clauses inserted into any deals in La Liga, it is unclear as to whether United would be willing to pay a quarter (£50m) of their £200m summer transfer kitty to bring Koke to the Premier League.