Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Bastian Schweinsteiger Rumours, More

Bastian Schweinsteiger reportedly wants Manchester United to pay out the full remainder of his current contract, worth roughly £13.8 million, should the Red Devils release him. Meanwhile, Juventus have already been in contact with the agent of rising star Franck Kessie.

According to Squawka's Greg Stobart, United and Schweinsteiger have held talks about releasing the midfielder from his contract, as it's become clear the German no longer has a part to play for the club.

Per the report, Schweinsteiger stayed with the club during the summer because no clubs were willing to take on his massive salary and he had no intention of negotiating a smaller deal. He's open to a move, preferably to Major League Soccer, but won't leave the club unless United pay out the rest of his contract, which runs until 2018.

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Stobart adds the two parties are still negotiating, and United hope to find some compromise.

Schweinsteiger's time at Old Trafford has been a major disappointment, as the veteran never impressed after moving to the club from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2015. Injuries slowed down the 32-year-old, and new manager Jose Mourinho has relegated Schweinsteiger to training with the youth teams.

Throughout it all, Schweinsteiger has carried himself as a true professional, even taking to Twitter to wish the team well ahead of key matches:

The club haven't been as graceful, per Sam Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

A split in the near future is inevitable, but it makes sense United would prefer not to pay Schweinsteiger the full £13.8 million just so he would no longer show up at the club.

The big question is how badly Schweinsteiger wants to move in January and how much he misses playing regularly. He was a top performer for Germany at the World Cup two years ago and can still be a difference-maker when he's healthy. In a league like MLS, where the ball moves slower, he could be a top player for years to come.

Few clubs will match the wages he earns in Manchester, however, and as long as there's no deal for a release or a transfer, he'll keep cashing those cheques.

Elsewhere, the Italian press keeps linking Atalanta starlet Kessie with a host of top clubs from Serie A and beyond. Fabrizio Romano of Calciomercato reported Juventus have a plan in store to sign him, having tracked the Ivorian youngster since 2013.

Kessie has started the 2016-17 campaign in blistering form, and links to a host of top clubs have followed. Apart from Juventus and United, Napoli, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have also been mentioned.

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Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star added Arsenal to the list but also noted Kessie has already professed his love for United, as he said: “I like the English league, now I have to learn the Italian tactic and then maybe one day to go to Manchester United. I do not know if there will be even (Jose) Mourinho, but the team I always liked.”

Fans outside of Italy may have never heard of Kessie, but that will soon change. The teenager moved from a role in defence to central midfield while on loan with Cesena a year ago and quickly established himself as one of the top young midfielders on the peninsula.

This season, he started by bagging four goals in Atalanta's first three Serie A matches, a superb return for a central man. Here's a look at some of his highlights:

Comparisons to Yaya Toure are obvious due to his nationality, but he shares plenty of traits with the Manchester City man. Like Toure, Kessie is a physical specimen with deceptive speed and a good eye for a pass.

He uses his body well and has flashed a keen eye for goal, and while he still has much developing to do, it's remarkable how far he's come in such a short time. The sky is the limit for Kessie, and it's easy to see why Juventus are trying to get a deal done before other top clubs can step in.