Manchester United Transfer News: Huge Names, Rumours Linked with Red Devils

Manchester United may think twice about chasing Southampton's Sadio Mane after learning they'll have to double their estimation of the forward, while Dinamo Zagreb youngster Marko Pjaca is garnering the club's attention.

The Saints rebuffed the Red Devils upon learning they'd be willing to pay around £20 million for Mane back in August, but the Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson has explained Southampton would be seeking closer to twice that amount.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Southampton executive director Les Reed and manager Ronald Koeman were at a fan forum this week, per Wilson, when a fan suggested Mane should be valued at £50 million, to which the former replied: “Only £50 million?”

The Southampton hierarchy aren't the only ones impressed with Senegal international Mane, either, after broadcaster Melissa Reddy provided quotes from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who faces the Saints on Sunday:

It's suggested the form of United's £36 million summer signing Anthony Martial has prompted Southampton's new valuation of their star, who has two goals and four assists in eight league starts this season.

Mane was signed from Red Bull Salzburg for a fee of £11.8 million last summer and has established himself as an exciting figure to watch, according to Saints legend Matt Le Tissier, per BBC Sport's Oluwashina Okeleji:

If United are still in the Champions League come January, Mane would bring the added advantage of not being cup-tied in Europe, as opposed to many other of the club's rumoured winter targets.

That being said, even that may not be enough to convince the club to fork out such an astronomical fee for the 23-year-old, a player whom Southampton appear eager to keep under lock and key.

A much cheaper pursuit would be that of Dinamo's Pjaca, one of the latest young talents making his way through the senior ranks of the Croatian outfit.

According to Spanish website Fichajes.com (via Metro's Mark Brus), Manchester City and United are interested in the 20-year-old.

The player's agent, Marko Naletilic, recently told FCInterNews (h/t Football Italia) Serie A titans Inter and Milan are already in pursuit:

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But I can confirm that Pjaca is a player who is being monitored by the Inter hierarchy, as well as many other teams. 

At the moment we haven’t entered into discussions, or talked about a transfer for the lad. Dinamo aren’t ruling out a sale as early as January, but they’re in no hurry.

It all depends on how much they could get in the next transfer window, but the club could also wait until after the European Championships, as Pjaca is in contention for the national team. 

There are a lot of top European clubs after him, there’s Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund as well as [Manchester] City and United in England.

In Italy, as well as Inter’s interest there’s also Milan, which has been known about for a long time. That’s the player’s level.

"

Fans may take those comments with a pinch of salt as it's common practice for representatives to circulate such hype around their clients, but it seems clear United have their work cut out for them in winning the race.

Rumours have risen reporting Manuel Pellegrini's City were on hand to watch the prospect in action as recently as this week, where he came on a substitute against Olympiakos, per Scouts In Attendance:

Winger Pjaca is already considered a starting staple in Dinamo's setup and was crucial to the club's qualifying campaign for this season's Champions League, scoring three goals in six games.

The player has already featured for Dinamo 18 times this season, and the Guardian's Michael Cox picked him out as the biggest threat prior to the Champions League clash against Arsenal:

United made some significant offensive recruitment this past summer after signing Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial, while Adnan Januzaj is gaining useful experience on loan with Borussia Dortmund.

The club have never been shy of stocking up on young, up-and-coming talent, but Pjaca would face a difficult task in breaking the Red Devils' current first-team order if the club makes good on its interest in his services.