Man Utd ‘significantly improve’ January bid for ‘essential’ Barcelona star as Amorim learns vast sum to push deal through

Manchester United have ‘significantly improved’ their offer to prise Jules Kounde away from Barcelona – but Ruben Amorim’s prospects of making the France star his first signing have been hit by a staggering valuation, reports from Spain have claimed and with news emerging of the restricted budget he will likely need to work with.

A new era is underway at Old Trafford after Amorim was chosen as the successor to Erik ten Hag. The sixth permanent appointment at Manchester United since the exit of Sir Alex Ferguson, Amorim will take charge for the first time when the Red Devils travel to Suffolk to take on Ipswich at Portman Road on Sunday.

With Amorim having a penchant for playing in a 3-4-3 formation and widely expected to introduce the new set-up immediately, he will quickly get an idea of who is suited to operating in such a way and which players do – and do not – suit the system.

As a result, it is little wonder to see Amorim being linked with a variety of signings to help bring his plans to reality at Old Trafford.

And with United having already seen an offer for Kounde waved off the summer, a new report claims they are on the cusp of having an offer accepted by Barcelona to bring the France defender to Old Trafford.

Per El Nacional, Amorim is desperate to sign a new right-sided defender and feels Kounde would be ideally suited to play in the right wing-back role for United. And having seen an opening offer fail, it’s now claimed United have ‘significantly improved’ their offer to €68m (£56.7m, $71.7m) to try and tempt Barcelona into a deal.

However, it’s claimed Barcelona have knocked back United’s offer again, with Kounde ‘now considered a fundamental pillar and an essential piece’ of Hansi Flick’s squad.

Now considered ‘one of the leaders of the squad’ and it is for that reason why ‘they will not consider studying any offer’ that comes in for him.

Indeed, it claims they have warned Amorim and United that the ‘only way’ to get Kounde out of Barcelona is by ‘paying his full termination clause’ which sits at an eye-watering €1bn – making any move ‘prohibitive’ and ensuring United will have to forget about a deal.

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Man Utd have limited January budget to help Amorim

While United will be keen to give Amorim the signings he needs to help transform the club’s fortunes, it is understood the Red Devils boss will be operating with a reduced and limited budget in the January window.

To that end, it’s claimed United are under ‘huge pressure’ to cut costs even further to stay in line with profit and sustainability rules (PSR). As a result, Amorim will have to work with a reduced budget compared to his predecessor Ten Hag.

Worse yet, it is warned this will last for several windows too, with the 39-year-old putting his immediate focus on having to improve the players he inherits better.

As a result, it’s claimed talk of big-money signings – certainly in the immediate – are likely to be wide of the mark.

Money can be generated by player sales and by further reducing the wage bill, with high earners Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Harry Maguire and potentially Marcus Rashford in danger of the axe and fighting for their long-term futures.

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With modest additions likely to be the order of the month in January, United are reportedly ‘leading the race’ for Rosenborg wonderkid Sverre Nypan, who has admitted it would be a ‘dream’ to play for the Red Devils.

The 17-year-old is widely considered one of Europe’s hottest prospects and it seems he favours a move to Old Trafford over a plethora of alternative suitors who are all chasing his signature.

Rosenborg’s manager, Mikael Dorsin, has previously hinted that Nypan would soon be worth €100m after comparing the star to Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard.

Meanwhile, with Eriksen’s days at United seemingly numbered and with Fabrizio Romano confirming he will not be offered a new deal, the Danish star appears to have lined himself up his next move with a familiar face coming calling for his signature.

That’s after reports claimed that Jose Mourinho is keen to bring the experienced midfielder to Fenerbahce in the winter window, believing there is an opportunity to land him on a cut-price deal.

Fener already have former United man Sofyan Amrabat patrolling their midfield and now they are expected to move to bring in Eriksen alongside him.

Elsewhere, it’s been claimed that Luke Shaw and Rashford are both ‘fighting for their United futures’ under Amorim.

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