Man Utd on verge of signing£36m star despite Liverpool interest – reports
Manchester United are set to sign Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich despite interest from Liverpool in the £36m-rated midfielder, according to reports in Spain via the Manchester Evening News.
Thiago has enjoyed seven successful years in Germany since joining Bayern from Barcelona but the Brazilian-born star is expected to leave this summer after failing to agree terms over a new contract.
With just one year remaining on his current deal, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed earlier this month they will sell the unsettled midfielder this summer rather than risk losing him for nothing in 12 months time.
The situation has alerted clubs from all over Europe but Liverpool were the early front-runners for his signature with Spanish outlet SPORT claiming at the start of July that the Merseysiders were closing-in on a deal.
Jurgen Klopp is reportedly in the market for a new midfielder as Adam Lallana will leave Liverpool this summer while James Milner is coming towards the end of his career and it appeared like Thiago was on his radar.
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Manchester United have signed Real Madrid youngster Alvaro Fernandez on a four-year contract, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
The 17-year-old left-back -- whose deal at the Bernabeu expired on June 30 after a failure to reach an agreement on a renewal -- moves to Old Trafford as a free agent.
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Fernandez joined Real Madrid from Deportivo La Coruna in his native Galicia in 2017, beating competition from a number of top clubs for his signature.
The defender played for Madrid's Under-15s, U16s and U17s in his three seasons at Valdebebas, being known as an attacking full-back with impressive physique and pace.
He was part of a talented generation that features some of the most highly-rated players in Real Madrid's academy such as midfielder Bruno Iglesias and forward Israel Salazar.
Sources have told ESPN that Fernandez views United as a better option for his development in the short and medium-term.
He is expected to feature for United's reserves next season, with the possibility of training with the first team when defensive reinforcements are required -- a faster career progression than would have been available in Madrid.
"The signing of Fernandez is not the first time that Manchester United have targeted the academies of La Liga clubs this summer."
Last month ESPN reported that Barcelona right-back Marc Jurado, 16, will also move to Old Trafford, despite being offered a new three-year deal at Camp Nou.
Man United fans will have mixed feelings seeing Birmingham City midfielder fly to Borussia Dortmund for medical
Manchester United fans will have mixed feelings with Skysports reporting Birmingham City midfielder fly to Borussia Dortmund for medical.
Bellingham is a player United have been reported to be interested in over the last few months, following the remarkable breakthrough season he has had for Championship side Birmingham City.
The midfielder only turned 17-years-old last month and has been a regular starter for the Blues this campaign despite the Championship being such a difficult league for inexperienced players to break into.
United were not the only team interested in signing the highly-rated youngster and it seems that Bundesliga outfit Dortmund are the preferred option for the young Englishman.
Dortmund have built themselves a strong reputation of giving young talent a chance to play football at the highest level and do not stand in their way if they want to leave.
However, Shoot believe United fans may have mixed feelings about losing the chance to sign Bellingham because it may lead to Dortmund being more open to selling superstar Jadon Sancho.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka return to Selhurst Park tonight for first time since his £50m to Crystal
That Manchester United fans were nervous about splashing out £50million on Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer said a lot more about their recent transfer success than it did about the young right back.
Wan-Bissaka returns to his former home of Selhurst Park tonight, where he would have got a hero's reception had fans been allowed in, having firmly established himself as United's first choice and already repaid most of that fee.
United fans, his manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and team-mates rave about the 22-year-old, who was enjoying a fine season even before their resurgence either side of lockdown following the signing of Bruno Fernandes.
Wan-Bissaka is top of the Premier League's tackle count - the most important statistic for full backs - with 120, having finished third on it when at Crystal Palace last season. Crucially, he also sits a respectable joint-sixth in the assist table for defenders with four. While he is some way off Liverpool's game-changing duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold (12) and Andrew Robertson (10), his attacking play has shown vast improvements under Solskjaer, particularly in recent months.
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