Man Utd transfer news: De Ligt, Fernandes, Ramos, Lewandowski, Lukaku, Lo Celso

Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt is ‘offered’ to the Old Trafford club

Matthijs de Ligt scored for Ajax against Juventus in the Champions League last season
Matthijs de Ligt scored for Ajax against Juventus in the Champions League last season
(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

De Ligt offer

Ajax and Holland star defender Matthijs de Ligt has been “offered” to Manchester United.

The Daily Express reports that the teenage Ajax captain has been linked with a cluster of Europe’s top clubs this summer, and although Barcelona have been considered the strong favourites to land De Ligt the deal is far from done.

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It appears that the 19-year-old’s agents are set on trying to get the best deal for their man, hence the reason he’s been offered to United and also Real Madrid.

One obstacle facing Barcelona is funds, and the Express says that they “will have to sell first before they can fund a deal for the talented defender”.

Fernandes link

The Manchester Evening News reports that Bruno Fernandes is refusing to rule out a summer move from Sporting Lisbon.

The 24-year-old midfielder, who scored 32 goals in 53 appearances in the recent campaign, has been linked to both United and Manchester City.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is apparently keen to bring Fernandes to Old Trafford to replace Ander Herrera.

In conversation with Portuguese outlet Record, the playmaker - who has also been scouted by Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain in recent months - said of his future: “There are no contacts with any club, at least as far as I know. There is a lot of talk, there are sure to be clubs interested but to this day, my focus has always been placed on Sporting.”

But asked if he expected to clock on at Sporting in July, he said: “I don’t know if I will spend a third year, I don’t know if I’m going to leave. No one knows the future.”

Ramos a Red Devil?

The Spanish press claim that Sergio Ramos’s future could be elsewhere as Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is reportedly “not on very good terms” with the defender.

The duo had what Spanish newspaper AS describes as “a tough face-to-face” after Real’s Champions League defeat to Ajax, and that has pushed Ramos towards the exit.

Juventus, Liverpool and United have “made contact” with the central defender and media outlet Jugones goes so far to allege that Ramos is “insisting that he wants to leave the Bernabeu in the summer”.

United are known to be fans of the veteran blocker and the club are keeping tabs on the situation.

Meanwhile, Spanish publication LaSexta reports that Ramos has asked Real chief Perez to let him leave for the Chinese Super League.

War for Lo Celso

United are ready to rival Tottenham “in the chase for Giovani Lo Celso”. So says the Daily Mirror, with the paper reporting that the Real Betis playmaker is on Solskjaer’s radar.

It’s rumoured that Spurs have already had a £52m offer knocked back, but that doesn’t seem to have deterred United with the Mirror claiming that the former Paris Saint-Germain star is in their sights.

The Spanish club are prepared to sell but with Real Madrid also loitering it appears that their goal is to spark a bidding war.

Swap deal?

The Daily Star suggests that United may be ready to swap the unsettled Romelu Lukaku for Bayern Munich marksman Robert Lewandowski. Acknowledging that any such move would be “difficult”, the paper nevertheless says that the Polish ace is on Solskjaer’s summer wishlist.

Cancelo battle

United and rivals Manchester City could be set for a bidding war to sign Juventus defender Joao Cancelo. According to the Daily Mirror the 24-year-old right-back has a £53m price tag and could be heading to Manchester.

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