Manchester United Transfer News: Alessandro Florenzi Linked, Latest Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly willing to part with £24 million as they seek to secure the signing of Alessandro Florenzi from Roma.

According to TMW (h/t talkSPORT) the Red Devils have been scouting the Giallorossi star this season, and his showings are said to be encouraging them. The 25-year-old has been key to Roma’s recent renaissance under Luciano Spalletti and a steady performer throughout the campaign.

Florenzi is certainly a player who could bring plenty to Old Trafford. Here is a look at some of his standout moments from the 2015-16 campaign:

The Italy international is a naturally gifted player. In terms of his understanding and appreciation of the game, there are few finer operators in Serie A, qualities that have allowed Roma to use him in a variety of different positions on the field.

While Florenzi is at his best in a midfield berth, they've been deploying him primarily on the right flank, where he excels as a defender and a little further forward. As Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez notes here, the Roma man has impressed at the highest level this season, including in their Champions League campaign:

Any team on the continent could do with a player as adaptable and advanced as Florenzi. So while his highlight reel may not be full of too many spectacular moments, a fee of £24 million would potentially be a bargain for United, especially given their own issues when it comes to options on the right flank in 2015-16.

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Florenzi seems fully committed to the Roma cause, though. As a proud Roman, it’s clear he adores playing for his hometown club, and he’ll have experienced first hand the acclaim with which Francesco Totti is considered by the supporters having remained for his entire career so far.

The capital club is one that grips players, and regardless of interest from elsewhere, it’d be little surprise if Florenzi were another cast under its spell for the majority of his playing days too.

Keita Balde Diao Reveals United Dream

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Speaking with La Lazio Siamo Noi (h/t Sport Witness), Lazio starlet Keita Balde Diao has expressed his desire to play for one of European football’s elite clubs one day, with Manchester United on his shortlist.

“I have a contract until 2018, and for the time being I will stay here,” said the 21-year-old winger. “My ambition is get to play for the best teams in the world such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United, it’s the dream of all players.”

This season, Keita has started to turn his much talked-about potential into something tangible on the field. Here is a look at his finest qualities:

Still, manager Stefano Pioli clearly views the youngster as an impact player, with 15 of his 24 Serie A appearances coming from the bench. During his time on the field, he has netted four goals and grabbed two assists, stretching opposition defenders with his searing pace and array of skills.

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United moved for a winger with a similar set of attributes in Memphis Depay in the summer, but as Tom Williams of AFP joked recently, since signing for the club for big money from PSV Eindhoven, things haven’t gone particularly well for the Dutchman:

The raw attributes that Keita possesses would certainly improve United’s attacking play, as he’s a footballer who can prompt supporters up onto their feet and defenders into retreating. Additionally, he’s still growing as a player, versatile and a young man who has a lot to learn.

They’re traits that Depay was revered for before coming to Old Trafford too, and you do wonder whether a move to the Premier League any time soon would be a little too much for the former Barcelona youth star. For the time being, staying in the Italian capital, refining his malleable assets and continuing to progress would be the smart decision for Keita.