Man United Looking To Sign Serie A Defender As Maguire Alternative
REUTERS/Andrew Yates
Manchester United’s transfer activity has been muted as of recent. This is surprising given that the squad is training in Australia ahead of their pre-season tour games.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a massive proponent of training with new talent and most speculations had indicated that signings would be secured in this period.
The Red Devils still require a host of talents to complete their roster, including a midfielder and possible replacements in the event Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku are sold.
However, their biggest requirement is that of a centre-back and the saga of Harry Maguire appears to have reached a stand-still.
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Leicester City allegedly require upwards of £90 million for the English centre-back, with United willing to go as high as £75 million.
As of such, the Old Trafford outfit may be looking for an alternative. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, United have enquired about the availability of Nikola Milenkovic. The 21-year-old Serb presently plies his trade for Fiorentina.
This isn’t the first attempt from the Premier League giants for the promising centre-back. Last January an apparent bid of €40 million was rejected by the Serie A club who were reportedly looking for upwards of €50 million. It looks likely that they will demand a similar sum this time around as well.
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Milenkovic, despite being young, is a versatile defender and has shown a penchant for being capable of playing across the backline.
It will be interesting to see if a player that was desired by Jose Mourinho will end up becoming the defensive solution for United this time around. It seems unlikely that the Foxes will budge further in their demands for Maguire. While that saga is still very much on, the decision will have to be made by the Red Devils soon.
To pay the premium and sign the experienced Maguire or gamble on the youth of the Serb?