Man Utd transfer news: Mourinho loses patience with Inter over Perisic deal

Man Utd transfer news: Ibrahimovic to stay for £300k a week

20 March

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has agreed to stay loyal to Manchester United next season – provided the Red Devils make him the club's richest star. That's the claim made in The Sun with the paper saying it "understands that the Swede is ready to commit himself to Old Trafford" on the same pay structure as £300,000-a-week stars Wayne Rooney and Paul Pogba.

The 35-year-old is currently struggling to make ends meet on a risible £260,000-a-week salary and apparently he needs the extra cash to keep the wolf from the door.

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The Sun says that Ibra's agent, Mino Raiola, has received "mega bucks offers" from a number of clubs in both the USA and China and that's why he feels in a position to play hardball with United. The former PSG star, who arrived at Old Trafford in the summer, initially signed a 12-month deal with the option of another season. It's believed that he and Raiola are also pushing United for a new two-year deal, something that the club rarely does for a player in his mid-30s.

Elsewhere and the Daily Star says that United defender Luke Shaw "wants out" of the club and that's started a scramble for services with Stoke, Crystal Palace and Newcastle all "keen" on the 21-year-old.

Included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad last week, Shaw has made only 15 appearances this season and there were allegations of a rift with Jose Mourino last year. Whatever the truth behind those rumours, the former Southampton left-back, who cost United £30m in 2014, is likely to leave Old Trafford in the summer with the Sun claiming that he could go for as little as £15m with Newcastle chief Rafa Benitez the favourite to land him provided the Magpies win promotion to the Premier League from the Championship.

Man Utd transfer news: Romelu Lukaku agent in Old Trafford talks

17 March

The will-he-won't-he saga surrounding Romelu Lukaku has taken a new twist with the Daily Star's claim that the Everton striker could be headed to Manchester United rather than Chelsea in the summer.

Chelsea have been frontrunners to land the 23-year-old Belgian, but the Star says that Lukaku’s agent, Mino Raiola, has "held talks with Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward". Apparently the pair spent three hours in earnest discussion and it's believed they were talking about a possible move to Old Trafford for Lukaku, who said in an interview this week that he wanted to leave Goodison Park.

But if United want to lure Lukaku from Merseyside they will have to get past Everton manager Ronald Koeman, who is not best pleased at the possibility that he could lose his prize asset at the end of the season.

"Of course I am not happy about that interview," he said. "But I am not so afraid about his situation because the player has more than two years on his contract."

Koeman is unlikely to reprimand Lukaku, saying that his striker "has no problem". He added: "He is training how he needs to train, his behaviour - except some quotes in this interview - is what I like from the player and there is no reason to put him out of the team."

Man Utd transfer news: Bernardo Silva flattered by interest

16 March

There were scouts from Manchester United and Chelsea at the Stade Louis II last night to watch Bernardo Silva help Monaco knock Manchester City out of the Champions League.

The dynamic 22-year-old midfielder has set Ligue 1 alight this season and according to The Sun his displays "have attracted interest across Europe". The paper adds that the Portugal international is being "looked at closely" by United and Chelsea and both clubs are preparing to table bids at the end of the season.

Asked if he had heard the rumours linking him to the Premier League clubs, Silva replied: "Yes I heard the reports...it's nice to be associated with that kind of club."

It's believed that Jose Mourinho is in pole position to sign his compatriot and when asked if was open to Old Trafford, Silva said: "One day I would like to play in England or Spain, in one of the best leagues in the world." As for the likely fee for Silva, the Sun says Monaco would expect £70m in return for the player they nurtured after the struggled to break through at Benfica.

Man Utd transfer news: Marco Verratti wanted as foil for Pogba

15 March

Spanish rag Mundo Deportivo reports that Manchester United face competition from Barcelona for the hand of PSG midfielder Marco Verratti, who is likely to be at the centre of a £60m transfer tussle this summer.

Picking up on the reports in Spain, the Daily Mirror says Jose Mourinho "would love to acquire the Italian maestro" but must beat Barcelona to the punch after the Catalan club earmarked the 24-year-old as a key part of their rebuilding process in the summer once Luis Enrique steps down.

It's Verratti's "tempo-setting passing" that has attracted both clubs, and the Mirror says that Mourinho sees the PSG playmaker as the sort of holding midfielder who would complement Paul Pogba, who's still struggling to adapt to the United style.

As Mourinho exchanged pleasantries with the Chelsea fans on Monday evening, looking on from the Stamford Bridge stands were scouts from Real Madrid. The Sun claims that the Spanish giants sent their spies to the FA Cup quarter-final showdown with strict instructions to check out the form of goalkeepers David de Gea and Thibault Courtois.

Real have been linked to both in recent weeks as they look to replace gaffe-prone current first choice Keylor Navas. He scored an own goal on Saturday, allegedly the final straw for Zinedine Zidane, and the Sun says the Real gaffer has stepped up his pursuit of De Gea and Courtois.

It was De Gea who had the busier night on Monday and it's believed that the United stopper is top of Real's wishlist with the club expected to table a big money offer at the end of the season.

Man Utd transfer news: Shock swoop for Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez?

14 March

The future of Mesut Ozil is increasingly uncertain at the Emirates and according to Goal.com, Manchester United are "readying a summer move" for the lackadaisical Arsenal midfielder.

The Germany international is out of contract at the end of the 2017-18 season and he's yet to agree terms on a new deal with the Gunners. For many Arsenal fans Ozil epitomises the lack of fight within the club and rumours have been growing in recent weeks that the German playmaker wants a new challenge next season. This, says Goal.com, has "alerted Jose Mourinho to Ozil's potential availability" and he's quietly confident that he can once more work with the player he managed at Real Madrid.

The story gets the official seal of approval from the Manchester Evening News, which says that Mourinho sees Ozil as the man to fill the void left by Wayne Rooney, who is widely expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season.

And might United make a double swoop on the Emirates? The MEN also claims that United "are interested in bringing want-away star Alexis Sanchez to Old Trafford". With the club increasingly resigned to missing out on Atletico Madrid ace Antoine Griezmann, who insists he is happy in Spain, they are instead lining up a spectacular bid for the unsettled Chilean forward.

Man Utd transfer news: Battle to keep Ibrahimovic and De Gea

13 March

LA Galaxy are piling the pressure on Zlatan Ibrahimovic to leave Old Trafford in the summer by offering the stringy Swedish sharpshooter what the Daily Express describes as a "huge £15m-a-season deal" to move Stateside.

Rumours emerged last month suggesting that the MLS team had their beady eye on Ibrahimovic, and according to the Express they want to make the veteran the highest paid player in MLS history.

The 35-year-old, who has scored 26 goals since arriving at United from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, has the option of another year at Old Trafford. The Express believes that the player and his agent, Mino Raiola, are holding out for a a two-year deal. That goes against United's policy of giving players over 30 only rolling one-year contracts but it could be that they change that in order to ward off LA Galaxy.

Zlatan, who currently earns a modest £11m a season at United, is expected to weigh up the offer before making a decision next month.

Another United player who must consider his options in the weeks ahead is David De Gea. The Sunday Mirror claims that the Spanish goalkeeper "has been given a May deadline by Real Madrid" to make up his mind on a return to his homeland. The 26-year-old has long been a target for the European champions and the Mirror believes United gaffer Jose Mourinho "has a fight on his hands" to keep him at Old Trafford despite his £50m release clause.

It's reported that De Gea and his agent, Jorge Mendes, are discussing the situation but have been told by officials at the Bernabeu to give them an an answer by the first week in May, "otherwise they will turn their attention to Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois".

De Gea's United contract runs until June 2019 but the Mirror says that United may look to win his long-term loyalty by awarding him a hefty pay rise.

Finally, the Daily Star says that United "are closely monitoring" France under-21 international Lucas Tousart. The 19-year-old was apparently watched by Red Devils spies last week in action against Roma in the Europa League. The Star claims that Italian outfit Palermo have had a £4.5m bid knocked back but it's believed that Mourinho will make a bigger offer for the youngster who likes playing in deep-lying midfield position.