Man Utd transfer news: Real Madrid demand £78m for Alvaro Morata

If Manchester United want to sign striker Alvaro Morata this summer it will cost them a whopping £78.6m, reports The Sun.

The paper says that the Red Devils have tabled a £52m bid for the Real Madrid forward but that was quickly kicked into touch by the European champions who have told United to get serious. Apparently Jose Mourinho is "set to spend big this summer" as he looks to transform his side into title contenders next season and top of his shopping list is Morata, who the United manager sees as the man to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney up front.

While Real are prepared to listen to offers for the 24-year-old Spanish international, they want £78m for the player and any negotiations with United will not include a potential transfer to Real for David de Gea.

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The United goalkeeper is a long-time target for the Spanish giants but his future is not linked to that of Morata. The Sun says that if United decide against meeting Real's asking price they will likely turn to Torino striker Andrea Belotti as their plan B.

The Sun also reports that more defensive players including Nemanja Matic, Victor Lindelof and Michael Keane are on Mourinho's wishlist.

However, the paper claims that the United manager will not spend the summer involved in transfer negotiations.

"United had an immensely long season that was draining on Mourinho and his players," says the Sun and as a result Mourinho has grown "tired of football" and is determined to take a complete break from the game before returning, rejuventated, for pre-season.

That leaves chief executive Ed Woodward in charge of recruitment this summer having been handed a list of targets by his manager.