Manchester United Transfer News: Saido Berahino Sparks Rumours at Old Trafford

The presence of West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino and his agent Aidy Ward during Monday's FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester United and Arsenal has pushed the transfer rumour mill into overdrive, with a summer move a possibility.

As reported by the Daily Mail's David Kent, the 21-year-old forward was spotted in the stands during United's 2-1 defeat, adding another potential destination to his list of reported suitors:

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The England international took his position at Old Trafford, next to representative Aidy Ward, for the quarter-final tie.

United, who look unlikely to keep Radamel Falcao when his loan spell expires at the end of the season, will look to bolster their forward line this summer.

Berahino has impressed this season, scoring 18 goals for the Baggies - as well as three for England Under 21s.

Liverpool and Tottenham have both shown an interest in Berahino this season.

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MailSport's Ell Bretland shared an image of the striker and his agent in the stands:

The West Brom forward is enjoying a fantastic breakout season and has already indicated he's ready to move to a bigger club, per ESPN, but until now, Liverpool and Tottenham were widely viewed as the most likely destinations.

The Red Devils present an interesting fit, however. The team's attack was supposed to be its main strength following the arrival of Radamel Falcao during the summer, but both he and Robin van Persie have failed to live up to the lofty expectations.

Bleacher Report's Alex Dimond expects the veteran Dutchman to return, but the departure of Falcao would leave an opening someone like Berahino could fill:

Van Persie has scored 10 goals and recorded two assists in the Premier League this season, per WhoScored.com. As shared by Barcastuff, Berahino betters those numbers in 2015 alone:

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Most goals+assists in year 2015: Messi 29 - Suarez 17 - Dost 15 - Kane Berahino 14 - Neymar 13 - Robben DeBruyne 12 #fcb [via @barcastat]

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) March 9, 2015"

Whether the youngster's production is a result of playing for a smaller club, where much of the action in front of goal is directed toward him, or an actual testament to his potential remains the question.

You can't look past his obvious physical gifts and his nose for goal, however, and as reported by Sky Sports, former Baggies boss Alan Irvine believes the mental aspect of being a top player will ultimately determine his future:

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Everyone talks about technical, tactical, physical, psychological. You cannot be a top player unless you score highly in all of them.

You might score more highly in a couple of areas but you can't possibly be a top player if you don't score highly in all. Saido has a lot of that package but he is still at that age where it can go one way or another.

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Berahino won't come cheap—Metro's Baggiesblog mentioned a price tag of £23 million in January—but money hasn't been an issue in recent years for the Red Devils, who would be saving a chunk of cash by not making Falcao's current loan deal from AS Monaco permanent.

Of course, it's important to remember all of this is speculation. Berahino attended a match of football on Monday—it's perfectly possible the 21-year-old simply wanted to see the most anticipated FA Cup quarter-final from the stands, rather than the sofa.

The fact his agent was there with him leads you to believe something more is going on, however, and at the very least, it means Berahino probably wouldn't say no to a move to Old Trafford.

Whether such a move actually materialises is a whole different matter, and a question that can't be answered until we learn what United plan to do with Falcao and their other forwards at the end of the current campaign.

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