Manchester United have enjoyed a pleasingly efficient summer in the transfer market so far. First, FC Porto’s Diogo Dalot was brought in, with the 19-year old Portuguese purchased as an understudy and alternative to Antonio Valencia at right back. The player comes highly rated, and given that United boss Jose Mourinho isn’t exactly known for pushing the boat out for youngsters, it’s clear that there is faith in Dalot establishing himself in English football.
Next came Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fred, with the Brazilian midfielder completing his move last month for a deal close to £50m. Stoke City’s Lee Grant has also completed his move this week, with the former Derby County goalkeeper expected to provide cover behind David de Gea and Sergio Romero.
Departures have also been on the agenda, with rumours swirling around the futures of Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian and Marouane Fellaini this summer. The latter surprisingly signed a new two-year deal last week, but Blind is expected to head back to his former team Ajax, and Darmian is a target for Juventus.
The negotiations for that deal have dragged on for some time, due to United’s reported interest in securing an appropriate fee, and they could be further delayed by this report in Italian outlet Alfredo Pedulla. The suggestion is that Mario Mandzukic could be included in a deal to take the Italian defender back to Serie A, with Mourinho known to be in the market for an alternative to Romelu Lukaku up front.
Of course, Fellaini’s new contract might change the landscape somewhat, given that Mourinho is keen on utilising the Belgian’s disruptive presence as a Plan B to Lukaku when necessary. And with Marcus Rashford still highly rated at Old Trafford, the signing of a back-up striker might be unnecessary, even the Croatian forward wishes to leave Turin.
