BACK TO DRAWING BOARD FOR TEN HAG AS FRENKIE DE JONG HOPES CRUMBLE
Manchester United are ready to move on to options B and C, having seen their efforts to land Frenkie de Jong ultimately count for nothing.
New Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag has made the capture of a new midfielder his No 1 priority this summer. The position is deemed an area of weakness for United, who laboured to a sixth-place finish last season. And the exits of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic have made their need all the more important.
As such, a reunion with former protege De Jong has always been Ten Hag’s No 1 aim. After eventually agreeing a deal with Barcelona, they then encountered staunch resistance from the player.
And now it seems the deal is officially off with a report listing 10 reasons why De Jong is refusing to sign for United.
That spells bitter disappointment for United who have pursued the transfer all summer long.
Now the Daily Mirror claims the club are considering two alternative signings in midfield.
Their top target is seemingly Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves. The Portugal star has been at Molineux since 2017. During that time he has helped Wolves earn promotion and established himself as one of the Premier League’s top midfielders.
With two years left on his deal, Wolves, however, are not allowing his sale on the cheap. Indeed, they reportedly value the 25-year-old at a huge £70m.
Ruben Neves gives Erik ten Hag hope
Addressing his future recently, Neves hinted at a possible move, giving Ten Hag hope.
“The only thing I can tell you at the moment is that everyone knows what football is about, what our lives are about. Our career is really short and we need to take the opportunities we have.
“All of us have dreams and we need to live those dreams in a small space of time. Let’s see what happens, I cannot say too much about it.”
The Manchester United boss, though, may find things a little easier if he pursues a deal for another of his targets in Youri Tielemans.
The Belgium midfielder will forever be remembered as a Leicester legend after his winning goal in the 2021 FA Cup final. But with a year left on his deal, his time at the King Power Stadium is drawing to a close.
As a result, a transfer is widely expected this summer, with Leicester seeking a £30m fee.
That seems a reasonable valuation given his circumstances – but United may have to act quickly with Arsenal also on the scene.
WEST HAM CONFIDENCE GROWING OVER JUSTIN KLUIVERT
West Ham are reportedly growing increasingly confident they can secure the signing of Justin Kluivert.
The Netherlands winger has seen his career stall since moving to the Italian capital. Indeed, he has been farmed out on loan twice to RB Leipzig and most recently, OSG Nice. Neither move though has turned into a permanent transfer.
Now, though a switch to West Ham could be on the cards.
Hammers boss David Moyes is in the market for a new winger. He initially target Arnaut Danjuma, though talks with Villarreal have not been progressive.
But he may have more joy with Kluivert. Their interest in the two-times capped Netherlands forward first emerged on Friday.
Still only 23, Roma are reportedly seeking just £12.9m (€15m) for the transfer.
Now il Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that is a price West Ham may be willing to pay. If they do, they will look to reach an agreement before Tuesday. By then, Jose Mourinho and his Roma squad will be leaving for the Algarve on their summer training camp.
However, they will not stand in his way were an offer to arrive and are reportedly seeking a quick sale.
SEVILLA KEEN ON SERGIO REGUILON
Sergio Reguilon will reportedly re-sign for former club Sevilla, amid claims he is no longer wanted at Tottenham.
The 25-year-old is at something of a career crossroads having lost the confidence of Antonio Conte. Signing from Real Madrid in summer 2020, he has made 67 appearances in a Spurs shirt.
But his game time has declined since Conte’s appointment. The summer signing of Ivan Perisic appeared to spell bad news. And the writing was on the wall when he was left out of Tottenham’s summer squad to tour the USA.
Now the Daily Mail claims he is emerging as a target for former club Sevilla.
Reguilon spent the 2019/20 season on loan with the Andalusians from Real Madrid, winning the Europa League that summer. Beaten on that night were Conte’s Inter Milan.
Now Sevilla are ready to move for Reguilon and bring him back to the club. They need a new left-back with Aston Villa in the market to sign Ludwig Augustinsson on loan.
Tottenham are reportedly seeking a fee of around £20m, but could consider a loan deal with an obligation to buy.
