Man Utd transfer news: Schweinsteiger in Deadline Day stand-off

Man Utd transfer news: Juventus, PSG and Real Madrid join Lukaku fight

01 April

Not for the first time in recent weeks Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is at the centre of a transfer story but it's not good news as far as Manchester United are concerned.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

According to website Caughtoffside, Juventus are circling the 22-year-old Belgian sharpshooter and his agent, Mino Raiola, is eagerly talking up rumours linking Lukaku with the Italian champions.

In conversation with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Raiola was asked about the possibility of a summer move from Merseyside to Turin. "Of course, Juventus as a solution could go well,” he replied, mischievously telling reporters to "keep an eye on PSG and Real Madrid too".

The fact that he pointedly omitted mentioning Manchester United could be seen as confirmation that Lukaku won't be heading to Old Trafford, or perhaps in the complicated world of transfer dealings it could be a deliberate ploy to bring the Red Devils to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, United have made what the Daily Express describes as a "lucrative offer" to Ajax for the services of midfielder Riechedly Bazoer. Earlier in the week rumours emerged linking the 19-year-old playmaker with Arsenal and Chelsea, but the Express claims that having watched Bazoer in action for Holland in their midweek defeat of England, United have made the first move with a substantial bid.

The paper does not reveal how lucrative the offer was and it remains to be seen how Ajax react, bearing in mind the teenager is contracted to them until 2020. But it could spark a bidding war with the two London clubs as well as Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, who are all said to be "keen" on Bazoer.

Man Utd transfer news: Mourinho wants Ronaldo and Renato

31 March

Cristiano Ronaldo has put his house on the market and that means only one thing, according to The Sun - the Portuguese preener is "heading towards the Bernabeu exit as part of a mass clearout this summer".

What's more, the 31-year-old Ronaldo is offloading his mum's £2m home as well as his own £4m pad, so there can be little doubt this means he's had his fill of Madrid.

But will he touch down at Old Trafford? The Sun predicts that United will launch an audacious bid to bring Ronaldo back to the club with chief executive Ed Woodward "desperate" to sign the superstar. But the paper warns United that they will face stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain who intend to pull off a marquee signing this summer to replace the departing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Still with its feet firmly off the ground, the Sun adds that if, as expected, Jose Mourinho replaces Louis van Gaal as manager in the summer, one of his first acts will be to "splash a fifth of his mega Manchester United transfer budget Benfica wonderkid Renato Sanches".

Apparently Mourinho will be handed a £250m transfer war chest when he arrives at Old Trafford. A large chunk of which that be lavished on Ronaldo, and much of the rest could go to signing Sanches, the player dubbed the 'new Ronaldinho'.

United scouts were in Leiria on Tuesday to watch the 18-year-old in action for Portugal in their 2-1 win over Belgium. Another accomplished performance has only intensified United's interest and Mourinho sees Sanches as the man to replace Michael Carrick in midfield.

The Sun adds that United - who will have to meet Benfica's asking price of £47m - are confident of success because "the teenager is represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes — who also handles the affairs of Mourinho".

The only fly in the ointment for United is the prospect of missing out on Mourinho, who has been linked with the vacant Valencia job, after the Spanish club sacked Gary Neville.

And if United do splash the cash for Ronaldo and Sanches it will mean they miss out on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. For, as the Daily Star reports, Borussia Dortmund have moved to deter United, Arsenal and Real Madrid from poaching the 26-year-old Gabon goal machine by slapping an eyewatering £95m price tag on him.

Man Utd transfer news: £74m to win race for Gonzalo Higuain

30 March

Are United ready to steal a march on their rivals and snap up striker Gonzalo Higuain? The Daily Star claims the Red Devils "will make a £74m summer raid for the Argentina superstar" in order to secure his signature ahead of interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.

The Napoli striker has long been linked with a move to the Premier League and the Star says that Jose Mourinho - widely expected to take over from Louis van Gaal at the end of the season - has ordered United to break the bank in order to land him. Not only that, but the paper also says Mourinho intends to make a move for Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, as he beefs up the Old Trafford forward line.

But the news isn't so good for United as far as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is concerned. The Borussia Dortmund frontman is known to be on United's radar, but the Daily Express reports that Real Madrid are prepared to "bid as much as £58.9m for Aubameyang's services". In order to sweeten the deal, says the paper, Real will buy back Alvaro Morata from Juventus and throw their former striker into the bargain.

Man United transfer news: Three Portugal stars on the radar

29 March

Manchester United have dispatched their finest talent scouts to Portugal this evening to watch a trio of midfielders in action, according to the Daily Mirror.

They will be in Leiria for tonight's clash against Belgium with orders to run the rule over Portugal stars Bernardo Silva (pictured above), Andre Gomes and Renato Sanches.

The paper says that the three playmakers "are all clients of super-agent Jorge Mendes" and it's believed the scouts will sound him out about possible summer deals.

Silva, who plays for Monaco, has also caught the attention of Juventus this season butUnited are quietly confident they'll land Gomes because he plays for Valencia - coached (for the time being) by former United great Gary Neville.

Sanches was reportedly the subject of a late bid from United during the transfer window and he, too, could soon be tempted to Old Trafford.

One player United look likely to miss out on is Paris Saint-Germain winger Lucas Moura. Metro says Liverpool have barged their way to the front of the queue to sign him, with manager Jurgen Klopp confident of getting one over on United come the summer.

Meanwhile, Goal.com carries comments made in Italian media outlet Tuttosport concerning AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. It seems United are in with a shout of signing the highly-rated 17-year-old shotstopper because Milan need to "balance their books after they recorded a €90m loss".

Though the Serie A side had slapped a preposterous €170m (£133m) price tag on Donnarumma, Goal.com claims financial pressure could well lead them to sell the teenager to United for as little as €40m (£31m) at the end of the season.

Man Utd transfer news: Niguez, Dembele and Kroos hunted

23 March

Atletico Madrid midfield dynamo Saul Niguez is being lined up to put the spark back into Manchester United.

According to Talksport, the Red Devils are "planning a £31m bid" for the 21-year-old Spaniard despite the fact they were got knocked back by the Spaniards during January's transfer window.

Although their offer came to nothing at the start of the year, Talksport - on the say-so of Spanish outlet Don Balon - claims that United are quietly confident an improved bid will win over Atletico.

Niguez has refused to sign a new deal with the Spanish side with Talksport saying Atletico were "unwilling to match his wage demands". As a result he's likely to cast his eyes towards Old Trafford and the opportunity to feather his nest in England.

The future of Ousmane Dembele is keeping the rumour mill busy with The Sun claiming that the "wonderkid" is being tracked by Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United. And who does the 18-year-old midfielder prefer? Why, United of course.

At least that's how the Sun interprets an interview the Rennes playmaker gave to French sports daily L'Equipe. Asked how he relaxes away from the football field, Dembele replied:

"I love spending time with my friends and play PlayStation. I take Manchester United." In the Sun's view, the fact he likes to be United when he plays football video games can mean only one thing - he's destined for Old Trafford.

United are on more solid ground as far as the battle goes to sign Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos. The 26-year-old, who joined Real from Bayern Munich for £20m in July 2014, has been linked with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, but according to the [3]Daily Star - via French radio station RMC - United are favourites to sign Kroos provided they meet Real's asking price of £40m.

Man Utd transfer news: De Gea stays but Real Madrid hijack Lukaku

22 March

Is it the prospect of working under Jose Mourinho that has prompted David de Gea's change of heart, or does he fancy another crack at the Europa League? Either way, Metro reports that the Manchester United gloveman "looks set to stay" at Old Trafford this summer with the paper saying Real Madrid won't be launching another attempt to prise the 25-year-old Spanish shotstopper.

Real were on the brink of signing De Gea on deadline day last summer but the deal fell through because of paperwork issues. Metro claims that Real "were expected to reignite their interest" in De Gea at the end of the season but apparently they have now decided to keep faith with current gloveman Keylor Navas.

De Gea is said to be happy to remain at Old Trafford and is looking forward to the chance to work with Mourinho, who has allegedly signed a pre-contract agreement with United and will replace Louis van Gaal for next season's campaign.

Still with Real Madrid and The Sun reports that Gareth Bale "is to be given a huge new deal" by the club, one which will take his weekly wages above those of teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. The Welsh wizard became the highest-scoring Brit in La Liga history at the weekend, notes ESPN, surpassing the 42 goals of Gary Lineker for Barcelona nearly 30 years ago. The Sun claims that Real will offer Bale a contract extension to ensure he isn't tempted back to England by United. They and Chelsea have both been linked to Bale this season but he is expected to put his name to the deal and remain at the Bernabeu for the foreseeable future.

And making it a hat-trick of Real Madrid-related rumours, the Daily Express says that the Spanish powerhouse could scupper United's chances of signing Everton's Romelu Lukaku this summer. Apparently Real are "planning a sensational £60m swoop" for the Belgian striker, bad news for United and Chelsea who have both been eyeing up the frontman. Discussions have "already taken place" between Lukaku's agent Mino Raiola and Madrid officials with a deal expected to be announced next month.