Manchester United Transfer News: Big-Money Moves Lined Up by Red Devils
Manchester United are reportedly ready to muscle in on Chelsea’s pursuit of Everton defender John Stones. But the Red Devils will have to pay big money if they’re to bring the England international to Old Trafford, it would seem.
As noted by Steve Bates of the Daily Mirror, the Blues saw a £20 million bid for the young defender rejected on Friday, and according to the piece, not even a figure double that amount would convince the Toffees to cash in on their prize asset. It’s also noted that Manchester City have made their interest known.
Nonetheless, Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror claims Chelsea are ready to make Stones the most expensive defender in English football history, exceeding the £31.9 million paid by Manchester City by Eliaquim Mangala last summer. But for now, the defender seems settled at Goodison Park.
“I am very happy at Everton and my aim right now is to try and nail down a regular spot in this Everton team,” said Stones recently, per Bates. “And hopefully that will take care of England too.”
The money Everton want for the defender is substantial, especially as the young man has not actually played that many Premier League games, as we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports News HQ:
But the glittering potential is there to see. Stones is an elegant centre-back who possesses tremendous composure on the ball and a maturity that belies his tender years. The former Barnsley man is a wonderful reader of the game too and one of the cleanest tacklers in the division.
Former Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton rates the youngster very highly indeed:
For United, he’d be a tremendous capture and a player who’d add plenty to a back line that struggled for long spells last season. But given the reported competition set to come from Chelsea and City, plus Everton’s reluctance to sell the player, it looks unlikely to happen.
Stones is a player who is destined for the very top, and those associated with the Toffees will be well aware that a day will come when he moves on. At this juncture, Everton remains the best place for this young star to progress, but it won’t be long before the very best sides in the game come sniffing around for his signature.
Manchester United 'Resigned' to De Gea Exit
Manchester United will only let David De Gea join Real Madrid this summer should they get Sergio Ramos in return, but the Red Devils are reportedly “resigned” to losing the Spanish stopper in the long term.
That’s according to Vinny O’Connor of Sky Sports News HQ, who claims United are willing to miss out on a potential transfer fee of £25 million to keep the goalkeeper at Old Trafford for the 2015-16 season. But with only one year left on his Red Devils contract, that would mean De Gea can join Los Blancos for free next summer.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Brassell took a look at all of the most recent rumours involving United:
It seems increasingly likely that De Gea will remain in situ at Old Trafford for the upcoming campaign, especially with O’Connor insisting Victor Valdes staying at the club is “definitely not an option.”
Alex Shaw of ESPN pondered what this is likely to mean for the Red Devils in terms of incoming acquisitions:
While De Gea’s exit is likely to come eventually, him at the base of a replenished United side next season will help what is looking like a formidable squad mount a Premier League title tilt. If the Spaniard can help hold this new set of players together with his stunning goalkeeping, that will be a major boost for the Red Devils when it comes to integrating these fresh faces.
Losing a player of such immense quality on a free transfer will be galling for United, but the manner in which they’ve stood firm in the weight of reported Real Madrid interest should be applauded.
And if De Gea does play a critical role in a Red Devils championship win next season, you never know—maybe he’ll have a change of heart after all.
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