For Manchester United, the quest to sign more central midfielders this summer rolls on. The £39m deal for Atalanta midfield man Ederson should be finalized and announced any day now. According to reports, Old Trafford are looking to sign two, and maybe even three, additional midfielders this window, with Chelsea FC’s Andrey Santos, the next main target, according to The Guardian. This transfer narrative is still in early days, as the Guardian’s report claims that “talks are yet to take place between the two clubs but an offer is expected.”
The Chelsea valuation for Santos is thought to be in the neighborhood of £50 million.
Will United pay it? They already got outbid for Mateus Fernandes (who left West Ham to join Tottenham Hotspur) and Elliot Anderson (who left Nottingham Forest to join Manchester City). Eventually, they will need to spend money in order to get their summer transfer window going.
Newcastle United will reportedly rival United for Andrey Santos, and they are need of a replacement for Sandro Tonali, who they sold for £100m last week.
Let’s move on to the latest surrounding another midfield target, Club Tijuana wonderkid Gilberto Mora.
Mexico, the first nation to host or co-host three World Cups, were eliminated by England on Sunday night, so now the 17-year-old midfield maestro in development can focus on his club future. Accoring to a report in TEAMtalk, Liverpool FC have made contact for Mora, and are now ahead of United in the race to sign him.
The article goes on to say that United are now prioritizing other defensive midfielder targets. So it sounds like another target, who won’t be acquired. If he doesn’t move to Liverpool, both of the El Clasico clubs are said to be interested too.
United have recently been linked to Mexican internationals in recent summer transfer windows, like Hirving “Chucky” Lozano and Edson Alvarez, but obviously nothing came of it. History will apparently repeat here.
Although it’s worth noting that one of the most iconic players in Mexico history, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, achieved much of his glory, at the club level, at United.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.