Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Man Utd transfers: Star’s switch to UCL side ignites, with transfer fee larger than expected

Man Utd stars Fred, Casemiro, Anthony Elanga and Antony

German powerhouse RB Leipzig have held talks over signing a Man Utd star two sources have confirmed will leave, and the projected transfer fee is larger than first thought, per reports.

Man Utd have irons in the fire over numerous signings this summer, though the scale of their ambition may hinge on who they sell.

Indeed, with a new goalkeeper, centre-half, Mason Mount and an elite-level centre-forward all wanted, United’s total outlay could easily hit £250m.

To ensure they can afford such colossal figures, United will aim to generate decent fees for the lesser elements in their squad.

Dean Henderson is in advanced talks over joining Nottingham Forest outright. Harry Maguire has quickly emerged as a shock target for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham. Scott McTominay is being eyed by Newcastle and West Ham, while Fulham have shown interest in Fred.

However, today’s update regards the forwards and Anthony Elanga in particular.

The Sweden international, 21, barely got a sniff under Ten Hag at Old Trafford this year, racking up just 705 minutes of action across all competitions.

With Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri all available to Erik ten Hag on the wings, Elanga’s situation is unlikely to improve any time soon.

On the contrary, a new striker signing will push Marcus Rashford back into the wide berths too. Elsewhere, Amad Diallo could be given a chance to prove his worth at Old Trafford after impressing while on loan at Sunderland this season.

As such, Elanga is a player the Manchester Evening News recently declared could depart. Man Utd have reportedly abandoned their initial loan plan in favour of securing an outright sale.

The MEN didn’t name any potential suitors, though per Sky Germany, RB Leipzig are in the mix.

Leipzig hold talks; transfer fee bigger than first thought

Reporter Florian Plettenberg tweeted talks over Elanga joining RB Leipzig “took place”, though it’s acknowledged they’re not advanced just yet.

In any case, Plettenberg doubled down on the claim Elanga has the greenlight to depart, adding “the 21-year-old can leave Man Utd in summer!”

“Many other clubs” have reportedly lodged enquiries and perhaps with that elevated level of competition for his signature in mind, United may be able to secure a higher transfer fee than first thought.

Indeed, the MEN claimed just one week ago United had slashed their initial asking price of £20m down to £10m.

However, Plettenberg stated Man Utd’s up-to-date price expectation is €15m-€20m (approx. £12.9m-£17.2m).

READ MORE: UCL club announce signing of Man Utd star, as Ten Hag’s £65m replacement plan goes up in smoke