Manchester United “serious” about transfer hijack, they may change player’s mind

Manchester United may repeat their Joshua Zirkzee transfer hijack as the club look to sign a new midfielder this summer.

Manchester United have made a significant impact in the summer transfer window by signing Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £36 million and securing 18-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro from Lille for £52 million.

The acquisition of Yoro has been especially praised, with United and INEOS receiving accolades for securing him over Real Madrid, underscoring their ambitious plans for the future.

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Additionally, the club is looking to strengthen their midfield and were heavily linked with 23-year-old Manuel Ugarte from Paris St. Germain, although subsequent reports have now explained that the deal was deemed too expensive.

Following this, it has now been reported by Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport that the club have turned their focus to AS Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana and are “serious” about a transfer.

AC Milan have been credited with making significant strides in the deal and are said to be his preferred destination, but in a new twist, United’s high-level proposal to the player has left him pondering his initial assessments.

It is said that Fofana “wouldn’t say no” to United, and both the Serie A and Ligue 1 outfits remain fairly far apart in their valuations of the player, which leaves space for United to enter the race. Varying reports have placed his value at around £17-20 million.

Although Fofana would like to move away, he is said to be remaining professional. Should a transfer not materialise, he is continuing to make himself available to the manager, Adi Hutter.

“I have spoken about it with the [AS Monaco] hierarchy, it isn’t a secret. We had exchanges and they agreed to accompany me in this new stage,” Fofana said earlier this summer.

“If [a move] doesn’t happen, I still have a year left, and I will be happy to stay. We were in agreement that we would accompany each other in this process in which everyone should be a winner, be it me or the club.”

Should United secure Fofana this summer, it would be a repeat of their Zirkzee signing. Zirkzee was all but set to join Milan earlier this summer before United swooped in and offered a better package to both Bologna and the player’s representatives.

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