The manager of a leading European side is adamant he’ll sign a Manchester United attacker ‘whatever the cost’, and TEAMtalk has learned the fee that can seal a deal this summer.
Whether Ruben Amorim can perform major or minor surgery on his Man Utd squad this summer will hinge on two things – winning the Europa League and securing lucrative player sales.
Winning the Europa League will grant United safe passage into next year’s Champions League. That will be worth a minimum of £85m in extra income and potentially up to £100m.
Player sales, meanwhile, will not only rid the books of sizeable salaries but will also bolster the kitty. And if United elect to sell homegrown stars and thus log the proceeds as ‘pure profit’ on the books, their spending power will greatly increase.
Marcus Rashford is one player who fits that category and can join Aston Villa outright. His loan agreement with Villa contains an option to buy worth £40m.
Another forward who could be on the move is Alejandro Garnacho and according to the latest from Calciomercato, he’s the No 1 transfer target of Antonio Conte.
The Italian is the manager of Napoli who bid €50m/£42m for Garnacho in January. Napoli had just sold Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to PSG and sought an immediate replacement.
Interest in the Argentina international was also lodged from Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, but Napoli were the only ones to table a bid.
United ultimately refused to play ball after Napoli’s £42m offer fell well short of the club’s £70m valuation.
But per Calciomercato, Napoli will refuse to take no for an answer at the second time of asking this summer.
The Serie A challengers went on to sign Noah Okafor on loan from AC Milan instead. Okafor has proven a ‘flop’, per the report, and Conte will lay down the law with Napoli’s decision-makers regarding Garnacho this summer.
The report claimed: ‘Now the time is ripe and the Azzurri leader (Conte) expects to have him (Garnacho) available for next season, whatever the cost.’
Garnacho price tag confirmed / More suitors named
Napoli are gearing up for a big summer ahead of their return to the Champions League. As mentioned, they’re seeking a more adequate replacement for Kvaratskhelia, while Victor Osimhen is also expected to depart on a permanent basis.
The club will therefore have cash to splash and Garnacho is seemingly the player Conte is prioritising above all others.
However, Napoli are by no means the only club in the mix for the 20-year-old. Chelsea and Atletico Madrid retain an interest, while our insider, Fraser Fletcher, has verified Bayer Leverkusen’s admiration of the winger too.
Sources have told us a Garnacho exit is possible, though reports talking up a reduced price tag of £50m are wide of the mark.
As was the case in the winter window, Man Utd’s asking price is still £70m.
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QUIZ: Think you know Alejandro Garnacho? ⬇️
