Manchester United
Premier League • England
Man Utd chasing superb £89m triple Serie A deal as new Italian target named
Three new stars could join Man Utd from Serie A
Manchester United are keen on three Serie A stars, with defender Pietro Comuzzo reportedly their latest target.
Man Utd have had a desperately poor Premier League campaign as they sit in 13th place after losing 13 out of 30 games so far. United were also knocked out of both the FA Cup and League Cup, though they can rescue their season by triumphing in the Europa League.
The Red Devils are among the favourites for the competition and will come up against Lyon in the quarter-finals.
Winning the Europa League – and resultantly qualifying for next season’s Champions League – will go a long way in helping United sign new players this summer.
Head coach Ruben Amorim is planning a rebuild as he needs a host of new stars who can thrive in his 3-4-2-1 formation.
According to CaughtOffside, Fiorentina’s Comuzzo has recently emerged on Amorim and United’s shortlist.
The right-footed centre-back is only 20 years old but is already a regular in Fiorentina’s starting XI, having made 33 appearances so far this term.
Comuzzo’s solid displays have seen him get into the Italy setup and also impress United scouts.
United admire Comuzzo for his physical strength, game intelligence and his ability on the ball. Plus, at 20 he has plenty of time to get even better and develop into a top-class central defender.
Amorim has identified the rising star as a player who can replace the likes of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof at Old Trafford next season.
United must be wary of other clubs who are looking at Comuzzo, such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.
Napoli previously offered €35million for his services but had that bid rejected by Fiorentina.
United will likely have to pay €40-45m (up to £38m / $50m) to snare him later this year.
Comuzzo is not the only Serie A talent United are spying a deal for. It emerged on Monday that United have made Udinese’s Lorenzo Lucca their newest striker target.
Reports in the Italian press claim United are tempted by Lucca’s price tag, which is an achievable €35m (£30m / $39m).
Lucca is an imposing centre-forward, standing at 6ft 7in tall, while he has 12 goals in 32 matches for Udinese this campaign.
United are busy sounding out potential striker additions as Amorim is unconvinced by Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
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Assane Diao another Serie A objective for United
Third on United’s Serie A wish list is Assane Diao, the 19-year-old wide man who swapped Real Betis for Como in January. Diao was actually replaced at Betis by United flop Antony.
Diao is an explosive winger who has quickly adjusted to life in Italy, having scored five times in 12 Serie A appearances so far.
Last week, it was claimed that United are doing background checks on the Senegalese international ahead of a possible swoop for him.
As Diao is still very early into his senior career, Amorim clearly believes he can mould the player into either a wing-back or a more central No 10.
Diao’s transfer value has risen to €25m (£21m / $28m) thanks to him shining under Cesc Fabregas at Como.
Man Utd transfers: Valverde link; McTominay opens up
Meanwhile, United have been tipped to make an audacious move for Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde.
United could bid as much as £85m, though Valverde has always signalled his desire to spend the rest of his career at Madrid.
Scott McTominay left Old Trafford last summer to join Napoli.
The star has now spoken about the circumstances surrounding his exit and his frustration at not winning more trophies.