Manchester United’s first bid of the transfer window has ‘been rejected’

Manchester United have already had one bid rejected this summer as INEOS look to strengthen the midfield at Old Trafford.

It has been widely reported across the last month that Manchester United are looking at the spine of their side as the main area to strengthen this summer.

Under Erik ten Hag, the wide players have tended to flourish, with those such as Diogo Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho this season, as well as Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw last campaign, who have proven their talents at the club.

Read More: Man United could make transfer offer this week after fourth summer exit confirmed

This summer, United want to sign a centre-back (ideally two), a central midfielder, and a centre-forward. According to reports, they have already seen one bid rejected for a midfielder.

This is coming from the Portuguese outlet Record, which claims that the Old Trafford club have already submitted a bid of around £51m for Benfica’s 19-year-old sensation João Neves.

This would make the high-end bid for the talented young midfielder United’s first submission of the summer, although it is also reported that the Liga Portugal club has rejected the bid.

Neves has a release clause thought to sit at around £85 million, and this is the current figure that they are reportedly demanding. Neves also has suitors from across the way in Liverpool, who also require upgrades in their midfield.

Although the reason for this comparatively low bid was not stated, it is likely a combination of two factors. Firstly, United will want to try and submit a low bid to test both the player’s and Benfica’s resolve to see if they can lower the price as much as possible.

Secondly, it has been widely stated that United are not flush with cash this transfer window following multiple seasons of high spending—£85 million may be too steep for INEOS to commit funds to.