Man Utd star becomes ‘dream’ signing for Italian club, as second Ashworth deal gets ‘here we go’ confirmation

Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof is the No 1 transfer objective for a Serie A side, according to reports, while Fabrizio Romano has given another Old Trafford deal his ‘here we go’ stamp of approval.

Man Utd have worked hard to revamp their first-team squad during the summer transfer window. Club chiefs Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dan Ashworth allowed big names such as Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial to leave on free transfers, while the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Donny van de Beek, Mason Greenwood and Willy Kambwala have been sold, too.

In terms of new arrivals, the Red Devils have brought in Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui so far.

Man Utd had been hoping to land Sander Berge from Burnley, amid uncertainty over fellow midfield target Manuel Ugarte, but Fulham have swooped in and beaten them to the Norwegian.

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Earlier on Tuesday, it emerged that Man Utd have set a timeline for Ugarte’s signing as they will now switch their full focus back to the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder.

Alongside trying to snare Ugarte, Ashworth and Ratcliffe will continue to work on exits as they look to streamline Erik ten Hag’s squad.

Versatile defender Lindelof is one player who looks destined to move on. The centre-half, who can also play as a full-back on either side, has entered the final 12 months of his Man Utd contract, which means this summer is the best time for the club to sell.

Lindelof has emerged as a target for both Italian and Turkish sides in recent weeks. Last week it was revealed that Fiorentina have ‘set their sights’ on the 30-year-old, and there has now been an update.

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Fresh reports in the Italian media state that Fiorentina have decided on Lindelof as their ‘dream’ summer target.

Fiorentina need to add to their centre-back ranks and view Lindelof as a great solution, as he is both experienced and good at playing out from the back.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Italian outfit will be able to get this deal over the line.

They will need to sell at least one or two players in order to fund Lindelof’s wages and submit a bid that will tempt Man Utd.

The Sweden international currently earns a reported £120,000 a week, whereas Fiorentina’s highest earner only takes home €89k per week. Coincidentally, that is Lindelof’s former Man Utd team-mate David de Gea, who joined Fiorentina for free earlier this month.

Meanwhile, winger Facundo Pellistri is highly likely to depart Old Trafford before Lindelof, with his exit now having been ‘agreed’.

On Monday, Greek club Panathinaikos put themselves on the verge of landing the 22-year-old after entering into advanced talks with Man Utd.

Romano has now revealed that Pellistri’s move to Panathinaikos is ‘here we go’ done.

Panathinaikos will pay Man Utd an initial fee of €6m (£5.1m) for Pellistri, while a sell-on clause has also been included in the deal.

The Uruguayan is due to pen a long-term contract before being announced as Panathinaikos’ latest signing.

The ‘key factor’ behind the deal was Diego Alonso, a compatriot of Pellistri’s who took charge of the Super League club at the end of last season.

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