Prices quoted for Man Utd’s five top targets leaves Woodward stunned

Ed Woodward TEAMtalk

Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has reportedly been left puzzled by the figures being quoted for the club’s top transfer targets.

United have already completed a £15million deal for Swansea winger Dan James this summer – and are reportedly closing on a deal for Crystal Palace full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka for a fee expected to cost an initial £42.5million.

However, it is the failure to land a prized centre-half which continues to elude the club – and a report claims Woodward has been left ‘stunned’ by the stratospheric valuations of some of their targets.

The London Evening Standard say that Leicester’s Harry Maguire has become their ‘primary target in central defence’ ahead of Kalidou Koulibaly, but with both valued at £80million plus, the numbers involved are seemingly proving too excessive.

United also enquired to West Ham about the possibility of signing Issa Diop this week, but the Hammers too appear to have struck something close to a world-record fee on the defender’s head.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad revamp centres around a young, hungry, British nucleus, and it has been widely reported that Declan Rice of West Ham and Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff have also been targeted.

 

But Woodward has been left ‘stunned by the figures being quoted for domestic players’, with the valuations proving prohibitive to the club’s executive vice-chairman.

Woodward is already a man under pressure after the huge salaries handed out to the likes of Alexis Sanchez, who has struggled to justify his reported £425,000 a week basic wage.

And he knows he can ill-afford another expensive mistake this summer, especially in light of the club’s failure to secure Champions League football for next season.

The report claims United ‘believe’ they can edge Manchester City in the race for the England international Maguire, and ‘are confident they have the power to outbid the Premier League champions’, but remain reluctant to reach Leicester’s apparent valuation of £90m.

The Evening Standard add that ‘neither club is willing to go that high’, but while City ‘won’t go near the £80m mark’, United’s desperation could see them offer more.

 

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