Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Gabriel Jesus and Kostas Manolas Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly set to miss out on Palmeiras starlet Gabriel Jesus to local rivals Manchester City.

Speaking with Calciomercato (h/t Football Italia) the player’s agent, Cristiano Simoes, was asked whether his client would be moving to City this summer. "I can say that we’re defining some contractual issues, we’re working on that," was his response. "Could he go to Inter [Milan]? We’re very advanced with Manchester City. We’ll see."

As noted by Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness, Estadao and Globo Esporte both reported United had bid €35 million (£30 million) for the player.

Per Football Italia, the youngster has been strongly linked with some of European football’s biggest names after shining in Brazil. Here is a look at the kind of qualities he can bring to the attacking third:

According to Sposito, the bid from United is more than the fee offered by City to land the player, although it seems at this juncture he’s more likely to be donning sky blue than red.

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United supporters would have been excited to read they were looking at acquiring the teenager. Jesus has blossomed with Palmeiras, giving defenders in the Brazilian top flight problems with his energetic and technical forward play. With five goals from 12 league games this season, it’s no surprise there’s such significant interest in the youngster.

These numbers from WhoScored.com show that the player is not just a scorer of goals either:

Jesus is a player who would fit in well at United if the club were to pursue him. In Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Memphis Depay, they have a clutch of sharp and adaptable forwards; the Brazilian youth international ticks the same kind of boxes.

The chance to work under a manager like Pep Guardiola, who has been a superb influence on young attacking players in the past, would surely be appealing to the Brazilian, though. If he does end up at the Etihad Stadium, there’ll be plenty watching on with a keen interest from across the city.

Kostas Manolas Going Nowhere

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AS Roma manager Luciano Spalletti has insisted that star defender Kostas Manolas is not going anywhere this summer amid links of a move to Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

"Manolas is a good footballer, like there are many good footballers, and so it can happen that he will be linked in the transfer market—indeed it is inevitable," he said of the Greece international, per George Bellshaw of Metro. "…Why not talk instead about the problem of writing about issues that are not there? Manolas will stay with us."

As noted by Bellshaw, a clutch of Premier League clubs including the Red Devils have been tipped as potential suitors for the centre-back. Here is why he’s considered one of Serie A’s best in the position:

While Spalletti is adamant the Giallorossi do not want to move their star defender on, Duncan Castles of the Sunday Times offered further insight into why he won’t be sold:

United’s centre-back options have already been boosted by the big-money arrival of Eric Bailly this summer, although it’d be no surprise if manager Jose Mourinho replenished this position. After all, the former Villarreal man, 22, is still developing, and while Chris Smalling and Daley Blind performed well last term, an upgrade is arguably needed if the Red Devils are to push for the title.

An authoritative and combative defender like Manolas at the core of the back four would give United more assurance in this area of the field, making links to the player unsurprising.

But Roma will be keen to have the 25-year-old underpinning their own challenge to Juventus in Serie A next season.