‘Accused’ Real Madrid star ‘rejects’ Man Utd transfer after two meetings with Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has turned down a move to Man Utd despite meetings with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, according to reports.

The Red Devils spent over £200m on five new signings in the summer market with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, Senne Lammens and Diego Leon all joining.

Man Utd put a focus on attacking players after just four Premier League sides scored fewer goals than the Red Devils last season.

Things have improved in that department and now they will look to put their effort into signing at least one new midfielder in the summer transfer market.

Speaking on deadline day, Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett explained why Man Utd didn’t attempt to buy a new midfielder in January and that they “may even do two” in the summer.

Dorsett told Sky Sports News: “Midfield is where Man Utd feel they will focus the bulk of their spend in the summer. The way it was explained to me was: ‘if all of the club’s big targets became available in January they would jump at it, but not by paying over the odds’.

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“Most clubs feel if you go for a big name in January (unless they are due to be out of contract), you pay a premium.

“Carlos Baleba at Brighton is on their list, Elliot Anderson at Nottingham Forest, they like Adam Wharton, and Joao Gomes at Wolves so there’s a number of options. They may even do two.

“Window by window, they are prioritising areas of the team. It’s a very data-led approach. Last summer the priority was to score more goals so that’s why they pumped £280m into three forward players.

“Now they are wanting to solve the next imbalance and are going to address midfield. I get the impression Anderson is top of the list but we’re talking over £100m.”

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One midfielder who may not be joining Man Utd in the summer is Real Madrid star Valverde with reports in Spain claiming that the Uruguay international has ‘rejected’ the Red Devils.

Valverde was one of the Real Madrid players ‘accused’ of being responsible for Xabi Alonso’s departure from the Bernabeu with the club appointing Alvaro Arbeloa as his successor.

The Real Madrid midfielder is ‘open to exploring all his future options’ but the Man Utd option ‘isn’t his most appealing’ as he ‘prefers to join a team with institutional stability and the guarantee of competing for every title’.

Valverde’s agent ‘has held two meetings’ with Man Utd co-owner Ratcliffe in the last three weeks, fueling speculation he could move to Old Trafford.

Real Madrid, for their part, ‘will only accept offers approaching €100m’ for Valverde, an investment that Man Utd ‘seem willing to make’.