From Spain: Manchester United ready to bid €70m for Real Madrid star

Manchester United’s midfield is increasingly becoming a cause for concern for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In addition to his struggling partnership of Fred and Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba is recovering from a serious injury whilst Nemanja Matic is merely a rotational option.

Furthermore, there are questions over Pogba’s long-term future at the club. The 28-year-old has less than one year remaining on his current deal at Old Trafford and is free to speak with foreign clubs over a pre-agreement in January.

According to Catalan outlet El Nacional, there is interest from Manchester United in Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, who shares a dressing-room with Edinson Cavani for Uruguay.

The 23-year-old is one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe and has quickly established himself a senior member of Real Madrid’s team and is now the subject of interest from United.

As per the report, Manchester United are ready to bid a whopping €70m to secure his services, with the club said to believe that Valverde’s skill set fits the Premier League perfectly.

In addition to the Reds’ interest in Valverde, El Nacional speculate that the Uruguay international could be Pogba’s replacement, with the Frenchman potentially going the other way to join Carlo Ancelotti.

Read more: Cristiano Ronaldo rallies Manchester United troops ahead of Watford clash

SN’s verdict on Valverde potentially joining United…
Several key areas were addressed by Manchester United over the summer. Jadon Sancho finally joined the club and put an end to a two-year-long transfer saga and filled a gaping hole on the right side of the attack.

Raphael Varane was also brought in to sure up the defence whilst Cristiano Ronaldo was the high-profile signing of the summer. Perhaps key to these links is that no midfielder was signed.

Speculation surrounding that position will continue throughout the season and we shouldn’t be surprised to see more of these links as the campaign grows older.

Valverde is undeniably a talented midfielder but Real Madrid would be reluctant to let him to – only an astronomical fee would bring them to the table.

More Stories Federico Valverde La Liga Manchester United Paul Pogba Premier League Real Madrid