Man Utd reach ‘verbal agreement’ for summer signing No 6 as LaLiga star says YES to Amorim

Manchester United are ‘working hard behind the scenes’ on a deal to bring Javi Guerra to Old Trafford after strong reports in the Spanish media claimed the midfielder has green-lighted the move and, with the Red Devils closing on an agreement with Valencia, we have taken a look at what he could bring to Ruben Amorim’s midfield.

The Red Devils finally sought the breakthrough they were waiting for this week after confirming the signing of Bryan Mbeumo in a £71m (€82m, $95.6m) deal from Brentford. Signing a five-year deal with the option of a sixth, the 25-year-old Cameroon international became Manchester United‘s second senior summer signing after Matheus Cunha, and fifth in total after the captures of teenagers Diego Leon, Harley Emsden-James and Enzo Kana-Biyik.

The arrival of Mbeumo also clears the path for United to proceed with the rest of their summer business. And while much will very much hinge on player sales, David Ornstein has revealed Amorim has three major priorities to work on before the window closes for business, with a goalkeeper, a deep-lying midfielder and a new striker to lead the line next on the transfer agenda.

In light of a new midfielder, Amorim’s need has intensified in the wake of Christian Eriksen’s departure at the end of last season and with Casemiro now entering the final 12 months of his contract. The Brazilian, while showing signs of improvement under Amorim, has largely struggled to replicate the sort of form that made him one of his generation’s most respected central midfielders.

With that in mind, a report over the weekend revealed United had reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Valencia star Guerra over a move to Old Trafford.

Now, multiple reports in Spain claim that push to bring Guerra to Old Trafford is intensifying to the point where there is now a strong optimism that a deal can very quickly be concluded.

First up, Marca claims Guerra has ‘rejected Valencia’s offer of a new deal’ with his current arrangement due to expire in summer 2027.

They claim the 22-year-old and his camp feel that the proposal “doesn’t fit their needs” and they expect “something better”.

As a result, and with Valencia now prepared to sell the star this summer to maximise his value, journalist Sebastien Vidal, writing on X, claims Guerra has now ‘given the green light’ to move to Old Trafford, ‘despite interest from elsewhere’, and with the Red Devils keen to ‘wrap up a deal quickly’.

READ MORE 🔴⚫ Man Utd to ‘shake-up the market’ with incredible £91m double raid ON

Man Utd ‘working behind the scenes’ on Guerra as price tag emerges

United are now understood to be working hard behind the scenes on reaching an agreement with Valencia for the transfer of the 21-times capped Spain Under-21 midfielder.

Having risen up through the ranks at the Mestalla, the stylish midfielder has gone on to make some 89 senior appearances, scoring eight goals in that time and since his debut in the 2021/22 season.

Appearing in 78 matches over the last two seasons, he has become a mainstay of their midfield. However, with the club almost constantly looking over their shoulders, financially, they are not in a position to allow Guerra to near the end of his deal and plan to sell him now to maximise their profit.

To that end, it is reported that Valencia are seeking a fee in the region of €27m (£23.4m, $31.7m).

United, by contrast, are understood to have already lodged an offer worth €25m (£21.6m, $29.3m), meaning the two parties are not too far apart in terms of their valuation.

As a result, a section of the Spanish media believe there is a confidence at Old Trafford that Guerra can very quickly become signing number six of the summer for Amorim.

Man Utd transfer round-up: Martinez offer rebuffed; Sporting star wanted

Despite strong interest in Guerra, and amid the hunt for a new central midfielder, TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Rudy Galetti, has reported that Amorim has also approved the signing of a top Sporting CP star.

However, an update on Wednesday morning claims United will also face stiff competition from Manchester City for his signature, with their new sporting director, Hugo Viana, keen to reunite with the player himself.

Elsewhere, United have suffered ‘instant rejection’ after a fuming Aston Villa were left staggered by the Red Devils’ below-the-belt offer for Emi Martinez – though Fabrizio Romano has explained the strategy planned by Ruben Amorim’s side to get a deal done.

What the elegant Javi Guerra could bring to Man Utd’s midfield

By Ben Mattinson

Javi Guerra is an elegant yet powerful midfielder who oozes class and composure on the ball and has the power and stamina to travel box-to-box all game, covering a high amount of ground and being effective in all phases. At 6ft 2in, Guerra has a real presence, but it’s his technique that’s most impressive.

As a rangy Spanish midfielder at that height, people’s lazy comparisons would be to Sergio Busquets, or the fact he’s called Javi could make them think of Javi Martínez. But in actual fact, he’s much more mobile than both of them. A true athlete.

Guerra is such a strong ball-carrier. Despite his lanky frame, he has quick feet and is a good dribbler in tight spaces. He is smooth in the way he carries the ball. He just glides past the opposing midfield in style, often using ball rolls or acute movements like flicks to turn past them.

He adds verticality to Valencia’s midfield through his ability to powerfully drive upfield and take on players to help Valencia enter the final third.

One of Guerra’s most impressive abilities is his long-range shooting. On both his right and left foot,ot he has scored some top-quality goals with great precision and power. His long legs allow him to generate more power when striking the ball.

As a Spanish midfielder, it’s not a surprise to see how good Guerra’s passing ability is – particularly his long passing. Guerra has a good technique on clipped passes and crosses. When wide or in the half-space, he can be a source of quality crosses to create chances.

Guerra has good positioning as he often is in the right place out of position to provide a mid-block or anticipate passes, but specifically when tackling. He doesn’t go to ground often because he’s usually positioned well and doesn’t need to. But when he does, he times his tackles well.

Physically, Guerra is strong in duels too, especially as he’s got such a tall frame. He does lack aggression and intensity in duels, though, he’s almost too nice off the ball at times. As he develops this, he’ll be even better defensively.

Guerra is a calm, composed player in both his personality and play-style. This level-headedness and composure enables him to have good decision-making on the pitch. Hopefully, this translates off the pitch and he gets the timing and the destination of his next move right.