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Hello and welcome to the daily Manchester United transfer round-up - your one-stop shop for all the latest Manchester United transfer news and rumours!
The Red Devils are once again one of the major attractions in the transfer rumour mill today, even though they haven't been making any significant attempts to bring in new faces this month.
On that note, let's have a look at the top stories concerning Manchester United today.
#1 Expert predicts Kostas Manolas move
Manchester United have been in red hot pursuit of AS Roma defender Kostas Manolas, viewing him as a solution to their struggling backline. The Red Devils are being touted to make a move for the Greek centre-back frequently, and according to David Amoyal, they might as well make a move to land their target in January.
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Making a prediction about the move, Amoyal said,
“There was a ton of buzz on Mino Raiola becoming his agent, Man United fans got excited because they’ve done a ton of business with Raiola. I don’t think he’s in the elite echelon of centre-backs in Serie A."
“I’d definitely put him a notch below the [Kalidou] Koulibalys, the [Milan] Skriniars and the [Giorgio] Chiellinis of the world, but he’s right below it. But Manolas has been working with Raiola for a while - he was the intermediary of the deal to bring him to Roma from Greece."
Amoyal also revealed the price United would have to fork out to sign him, as he said,
“So I wouldn’t read too much into that but I could see Manolas leaving at the end of the season - and this is the key - at the end of the season because he does have an exit clause, very reasonable, €36m, but that is just valid in the summer so you can’t use it now in January.”
“Manchester United planting the seed now really helps, because they can offer him a huge salary. Roma are trying to negotiate a new deal where either they raise that exit clause or they get rid of it altogether, but if Man United tell Raiola ‘we’re going to give him a huge salary’, it’s going to be hard for Roma to get it done."
“So my guess is it won’t be in January, Roma really need him to make the Champions League - Roma need the revenue that comes with that. They’ve been playing a lot better recently, but I wouldn’t really be surprised if Raiola is really planting the seed and preparing this transfer for the summer.”
#2 Juan Mata unsure about his future at Manchester United
Even with Manchester United making no significant attempts to sign any new player in the transfer market this month, their plate is considerably full knowing the number of players who might leave at the end of this season if they aren't offered contracts. And, Red Devils' fan-favourite Juan Mata is one of the names on that list.
According to The Independent, the Spaniard's future at Old Trafford is still under doubt. Mata, who has six months left on his current deal, won the National Award for Sport on Thursday. When quizzed about his future plans, he said,
"I do not know. I have been in England for a while, in a league where I feel very well and in which I am well adapted, but it is true that sometimes you miss your home, your family, your friends... but I do not know if in the near future I will return to Spain."
The club is still in talks with his representatives over details regarding a new deal.
#1 Fiorentina warn Manchester United from making move for Nikola Milenkovic
According to the Daily Mirror, Italian Serie A side Fiorentina have told Manchester United to forget the idea of snapping up star defender Nikola Milenkovic in this month.
The Red Devils have maintained their interest in the 21-year-old and were hoping to land him with a player-plus-cash deal including Andreas Pereira going in the other direction.
A Fiorentina source said,
”Nikola won’t move in January. He will see the season out at the Artemio Franchi [Fiorentina's stadium] and then, if he does leave, he is likely to command a very high fee of around £50m."
United are scouring the market for an able defender to succeed the ageing veterans Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia. Milenkovic's versatility to function as a centre-back and a right-back is the chief reason why the Red Devils are pursuing him.
For more Manchester United transfer news and rumours, visit our Manchester United Transfer News page!
