Manchester United Transfer News: Pepe Offered by Real Madrid, Top Rumours

Throughout the summer, a Real Madrid stalwart has been tipped to fill the defensive void at Manchester United. But the latest reports suggest that man is more likely to be Pepe, not Sergio Ramos.

As noted by John Cross of the Daily Mirror, after missing out on the latter of the aforementioned centre-backs, Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal may turn to the Portuguese star, who will reportedly fall behind young Raphael Varane in the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu this season.

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However, Marca claim Pepe is set to sign a new deal with the La Liga giants, noting the ex-Porto man would love to finish his career "at a club which respects his work and in front of fans who adore him."

Bleacher Report’s Andy Brassell took a look at which areas United may look to strengthen in the final embers of this transfer window:

The heart of the defence is definitely one facet in need of replenishment. At this juncture the Red Devils have Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling to call upon; although they each have their own merits, none are of the standard required if the Red Devils do indeed have eyes for Premier League glory this season.

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Van Gaal has also suggested Daley Blind could start the season at the back, per Tom Dutton of the London Evening Standard. Bleacher Report’s Rob Blanchette isn’t too enthused by that prospect:

With those factors considered, Pepe would be a strong addition for the Red Devils. The 32-year-old may not have that long left at the very top level, but he remains an authoritative presence at the back, a superb reader of the game and a wonderful distributor.

Here’s how he fared in league matches last season in direct comparison with some of United’s regular centre-back options:

	Pepe	Smalling	Jones
Apps (Sub)	25 (2)	21 (4)	22
Goals	2	4	0
Tackles per game	1.7	1.4	2.4
Interceptions per game	1.8	2.3	3.2
Clearances per game	3.7	6.2	7.5
Blocks per game	0.4	0.6	0.3
Passing accuracy	86.7%	85.3%	88.6%

There are intangible qualities to consider too. Pepe has won the Champions League and two league titles with Los Blancos, with his commanding influence at the base of the team often vital when it comes to shutting out stellar opposition. They are qualities that United need, and currently lack, in defence if they are to scale the summit of English and European football again.

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Rafael Hernandez thinks the defender would be a fine capture for the Red Devils should it come off:

There are obvious pitfalls to pursuing Pepe. In terms of longevity, the deal doesn’t really make too much sense and you suspect Los Blancos would be demanding a substantial sum in order to part with the 32-year-old. In addition, Pepe’s volatile temper is well documented and as we can see here, there have been plenty of unsavoury moments in the iconic all-white jersey:

It’d be a big gamble for Van Gaal, but in terms of Pepe’s defensive attributes, he’d be a major upgrade on any player currently in the squad. The added responsibility of being such an integral part of this United defence, and potentially helping the club to major honours, would hopefully placate his firebrand character too

United need an experienced defender desperately and Pepe fits the bill. But it seems Los Blancos are intent on keeping the defender around anyway, meaning it's likely to take a substantial fee to lure Pepe away from the Spanish capital.