Manchester United have been hit with a blow in the pursuit of a £50 million-rated target that Rúben Amorim is very fond of amid the need for attacking reinforcements.
Rúben Amorim’s summer rebuild at Manchester United has kicked off in style, with the club sealing a £62.5 million deal for Matheus Cunha from Wolves on day one of the transfer window.
The following day brought more optimism, as David Ornstein revealed that Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo is eager to join United, even amid interest from Newcastle, Arsenal, and Spurs.
That was swiftly followed by a major boost, with Bruno Fernandes committing his future to the club despite a lucrative offer from Saudi side Al-Hilal.
With key arrivals taking shape and their captain staying put, United will now look to offload players to free up funds for further additions.
United hit with blow in Semenyo pursuit
Amorim is looking to secure fresh talent this summer who play with Premier League experience, with both Cunha and Mbeumo having played a combined 225 fixtures in the competition across their careers so far.
Another player who the head coach is said to be “very fond” of is Bournemouth’s Antonie Semenyo, who has grown into his own as a left-sided forward in the last 12 months at the Vitality Stadium.
However, with Arsenal also in the running for the player as well as United, GiveMeSport have handed both clubs a blow for the player who is currently rated at around £50 million.
The report claims that despite United and Arsenal’s “major interest,” Bournemouth are confident they can stand firm and refuse any cut-price deals, with the Cherries set to use the transfer values of similar players as a benchmark for Semenyo this summer.
United must prioritise signings elsewhere
While Semenyo is no doubt a top talent, the signing of Cunha and the potential addition of Mbeumo mean United have already secured two wide attacking players this summer, and have other areas they must prioritise.
The club are well known to want a new defensive midfielder this summer as Casemiro is not getting any younger, while the performances of Manuel Ugarte have left people on the fence about the Uruguayan international’s long-term prospects at Old Trafford.
Read More: Al-Hilal could offer Manchester United major boost despite Bruno Fernandes transfer collapse
They are also gunning to sign a new striker this summer amid the struggles of Rasmus Højlund, who is generating interest from Serie A giants Inter Milan.
United are also pondering the addition of a new first-choice goalkeeper should André Onana leave, and the possibility of signing another centre-back, depending on whether any of the current crop are sold.
With a limited budget this summer, Amorim must look to cover the more essential areas of his squad before eyeing a possible addition in Semenyo.
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