Paper Round: Manchester United to seal £52m Fred deal next week
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Published 24/05/2018 at 06:05 GMT
Manchester United are close to signing Fred and want Toby Alderweireld, while Manchester City will have to spend big to sign Jorginho and Riyad Mahrez. It's Thursday's Paper Round.
Fred
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Manchester United close in on Fred
Manchester United are close to making their first signing of the summer transfer window. They are nearing a deal for Fred, the Shakhtary Donetsk midfielder. The 25-year-old Brazil international will be in Liverpool next week for a friendly against Croatia, and could use that opportunity to undergo a medical at United's Carrington training ground complex. The player has a 60million euro release clause, something which has not put United off.
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Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian midfielder Fred
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Paper Round's view: Fred will add to Manchester United's already wan midfield, which will start the next season without Michael Carrick, and almost certainly without Marouane Fellaini. Numbers are the most important thing, but quality is essential too after a poor second half to the season. Giving Paul Pogba more freedom, and allowing Nemanja Matic to do less with an immobile body, might help set United up on the right track.
Spurs want £75m for Alderweireld
Another player who may join Manchester United is Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld, but there's a stumbling block. The Mirror report that while the 29-year-old Belgian has a £22m release clause next summer, Daniel Levy is asking for £75m this season. Jose Mourinho wants the defender in order to strengthen his back line this summer. 31-year-old Mousa Dembele is also expected to leave, with just one year left on his contract.
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Tottenham Hotspur West Ham United Toby Alderweireld Andre Ayew
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Paper Round's view: Spurs drive a hard bargain, and as a result have one of the best net spend records in the Premier League in the last five years. However, as good as Alderweireld is, £75m seems slightly absurd. Even if he was 25, it would be a huge sum for a defender when there will be other options around for United who actually do have much more left in the tank. Levy might have to come down from that figure to get a deal done with United.
City prepare for Jorginho negotiations
Manchester City target Jorginho is approaching crunch talks with his current side, Napoli. His agent, Joao Santos, said: "We will decide his future in a meeting at the end of the month. I don’t know if Napoli have received offers but we will talk about it soon.” The 26-year-old Italian international has an asking price of £52m, and as well as City, Manchester United and Liverpool are also reported to be interested in the midfielder.
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Jorginho vom SSC Neapel
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Paper Round's view: City need to replace Yaya Toure, and perhaps give Fernandinho more support in midfield given his age. At 26, Jorginho is in or is approaching what should be his prime years, and would probably be sufficient to cover for both players next season. £52m is easily affordable for City if they are to continue their current level of spending under Pep Guardiola, and could make them an even better side next season.
Leicester City name Mahrez price tag
Like Alderweireld at Spurs, Leicester City are not going to let Riyad Mahrez leave on the cheap this sumer. He has been close to a move to Manchester City in the winter transfer window, when Leicester's £95m demand put them off. Now, though, they are asking for £60m as a basic fee for the 27-year-old Algerian, and add-ons which might drive the price as high as £75m,
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Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City celebrates scoring his sides second goal with team mate Jamie Vardy during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium on May 13, 2018 in London, England.
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Paper Round's view: Riyad Mahrez might be a player who could justify such a transfer fee. He is a player who is young enough still to benefit from Guardiola's coaching, and in addition to that he has Champions League experience with Leicester, and also know what it takes to win the Premier League. Whether he would hold down a regular first-team place is another matter, but he has a chance to find out, which would be tough to turn down.
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