Transfer gossip: Man Utd ready to hijack Newcastle deal, want Neves; Liverpool to get £25m for Mane
Man Utd are interested in the same centre-back as Newcastle, while they are set to renew their efforts to sign Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves…
BOTMAN RETURNS
Man Utd are ready to jump ahead of Newcastle and AC Milan in the race to sign Lille defender Sven Botman, according to reports.
It has become clear recently that the Magpies will return to their January interest in Botman after another of their winter targets, Diego Carlos, agreed to join Aston Villa. The Netherlands international even provided encouragement to Newcastle to go back in for him again this summer in a February interview, in which he discussed the Geordies’ impressive “project”.
But now it could be Man Utd bringing him to the Premier League with Italian website TuttoMercatoWeb claiming that the Red Devils ‘have joined’ the race to sign Botman after another impressive season in France. The report adds that the Magpies are ‘serious’ about his signing and that AC Milan ‘have an advantage’ over Man Utd and Newcastle.
However, ‘closure will not come’ while Milan could be taken over this summer and TuttoMercatoWeb continue by saying ‘for Botman, the priority remains Milan, but without the acceleration, he could decide to go elsewhere soon’, in a boost to Man Utd and Newcastle.
FRESH NEVES BID
Man Utd are ready to revive their interest in signing Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves this summer, according to reports.
The Portugal international has been one of the club’s best players over the past five years since moving to Molineuz from Porto in 2017 for £15.8m. Over the last few years he has been consistently linked with a move away from the club with the Red Devils understood to be particularly keen on the 25-year-old.
And now The Sun insists that Man Utd are ‘on the verge of making a final push to sign’ Neves with Wolves lining up Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha as a potential replacement. It is understood United ‘have been tracking Neves, 25, with a view to buying for the past 12 months’ with a £35m bid rejected in the January transfer window.
Man Utd are ‘looking to go again in the next couple of weeks with new boss Erik ten Hag a big fan’ with Barcelona their main competitors for the £50m-rated midfielder.
GOODBYE, SADIO?
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is close to moving to Bayern Munich this summer, according to reports in France.
The Senegal international has been in sensational form once again for the Reds this season with some predicting he could win the Ballon d’Or later this year. Mane, who has scored 23 goals in 50 matches in all competitions this campaign, is one year from the end of his contract and there has been no concrete news that he will sign fresh terms at Anfield.
In an interview this week, Mane said he would reveal his future after the Champions League final, raising suspicions as to whether it could be negative news before insisting in another that it would be “the best answer you want to hear”. German publication Bild said yesterday that Mane is ‘leaning very strongly’ towards a move to Bayern Munich this summer and now French newspaper L’Equipe claim that Mane is ‘close’ to joining the Bundesliga outfit.
It is understood that Bayern sporting director ‘Hasan Salihamidzic met with the player’s agents in Mallorca’ ten days ago and the Liverpool forward ‘has since made it known that this track appeals to him’. L’Equipe add that Bayern are ‘close to an agreement’ on a three-year deal and that the fee will be around €30m (£25m).
