Man Utd delay €40m midfielder swoop as Herrera hopes are rekindled

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will put the brakes on a potential midfielder swoop this summer until he knows for certain whether Ander Herrera will quit Manchester United or not.

Spanish midfielder Herrera is widely expected to quit Old Trafford this summer as a free agent, with a move to PSG said to have already been agreed.

His absence would leave Solskjaer with a hole to fill in his midfield and it’s little surprise to hear the Norwegian and his coaching staff have been scouring the globe for a suitable replacement.

However, while Herrera has the verbal agreement in place over a £200,000 move to the French capital, the 29-year-old has yet to formally sign a deal – and the Ligue 1 champions are said to be getting increasingly frustrated by the delay.

That has raised hopes that Herrera could yet sign the deal on offer to him at United, and while some way short of the terms PSG have offered him, the player is known to be fiercely loyal to Solskjaer and United.

United will, however, push for clarification from the midfielder over his future – especially given it means their own transfer plans will be partially shaped by the Spaniard’s decision.

According to reports on Tuesday, Solskjaer had settled on 25-year-old Thomas Partey as Herrera’s replacement, after learning he could be allowed to leave Atletico Madrid for the right price this summer.

They claim United scouts recently watched Partey put in a stellar performance for Atleti in a LaLiga clash against Alaves and he’s now believed to be top of Solskjaer’s wish list.

The Ghana midfielder, who has also been linked with Arsenal, is reported to be valued at €40m by Diego Simeone’s side, with the club planning to use funds from the sale of Partey to launch a bid for Sampdoria defender Joachim Anderson.

The report adds that United are also considering Everton’s Idrissa Gueye and Tanguy Ndombele of Lyon as potential replacements for Herrera, but moves for them will only materialise if they hit a brick wall in efforts to bring all-action midfielder Partey to Old Trafford.

 

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