Man Utd transfer news: John Terry, Ander Herrera, Eric Bailly

Terry to the rescue?

Is John Terry poised to sign for Manchester United - or has the media’s summer silly season extended into September?

That’s the question puzzling United fans after The Sun claimed that the ageing former Chelsea centre-half is “tipped as the shock man to solve Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United defensive crisis”.

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Now 37, Terry is a free agent after leaving Aston Villa at the end of last season, and speculation has been rife as to his next destination. A return to Villa was mooted last week, but now it seems he could be on his way to Old Trafford.

The newspaper says that the former Blues bruiser “is well known to the Red Devils’ boss and was a trusted lieutenant throughout both his spells at Chelsea”.

Brittle back-four

With Mourinho desperate to shore up his fragile defence, talkSPORT claims that Terry could be snapped up by the Special One as the short-term solution to his brittle back-four.

The transfer window having closed until January, the only route left open to Mourinho is to sign a free agent, and Terry fits that particular bill. He’s kept himself fit over the summer and talkSPORT say he could scare opponents more effectively than the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Victor Lindelof.

But the Manchester Evening News thinks such a move is unlikely, reporting that as much as Mourinho admires Terry, he won’t risk signing him.

Herrera to Bilbao

The latest instalment of the Ander Herrera saga comes from talkSPORT, via Italian media. The site claims that the 29-year-old, who is in the final year of his current deal at Old Trafford, will “not extend his contract with the club and will look to leave next summer”.

Favourites to land the Spanish midfielder are Athletic Bilbao, with the La Liga club “fronting the queue to try and snap him up”.

Bailly to bail

According to Metro, Eric Bailly is “unsure about his long-term future” at Old Trafford and feels “disappointed by Jose Mourinho’s recent treatment of him”.

The newspaper says the Ivory Coast international is confused by his demotion this season, following a poor display against Brighton in his side’s 3-2 defeat last month.

Bailly is reported to be weighing up his options, amid rumours that Mourinho desperately tried to sign more defenders last month.

Metro says that the Ivorian blocker “wants to discuss where he stands with Mourinho before making any long-term decisions on his future”.