Manchester United Transfer News: Fran Villalba Talks Confirmed, Latest Rumours

Vicente Flores, agent of Valencia starlet Fran Villalba, has revealed Manchester United have made contact with the player's camp. 

Per Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness, he said the English club had spoken with him rather than Los Che: "With me. Just a contact to know his situation. They’re already aware. I don’t know about Valencia. But I reckon they will make it hard."

Asked if a bid would be forthcoming from the Red Devils, he added: "We’ve just started talking. It’s up to United."

The 18-year-old was handed his first taste of senior football last season under United legend Gary Neville with three outings in the Copa del Rey and a cameo in La Liga.

Neville has reportedly recommended the Red Devils pursue him, per Valencia-based outlet Plaza Deportiva (h/t sports journalist Adam Joseph):

"

Gary Neville recommends Manchester United to sign Valencia wonderkid Fran Villalba, according to Plaza Deportiva.

— Adam Joseph (@AdamJosephSport) October 11, 2016"

His brother, former Los Che assistant boss and United star Phil Neville also thinks highly of him, per La Liga writer Andrew Gaffney:

However, despite Andre Gomes' departure in the summer—which opened up a gap in midfield—and Valencia's poor start to the season, which has seen Pako Ayestaran replaced with Cesare Prandelli, Villalba has only been involved with the youth team thus far.

According to The Independent's Mark Critchley, the youngster has a release clause of £3.6 million, so if United are willing to meet that figure Valencia's only response could be to offer him a new deal in the hope that he'll choose to stay put.

The Red Devils might face hefty competition for his signature, however, per the Mirror's Ed Malyon:

Villalba appears to be an impressive prospect, so it's of little surprise he's attracting attention from the likes of United and Barca.

First-team opportunities will likely be hard to come by in the immediate future whether he stays or leaves, but it's important he prioritises his development when making any decisions in the coming years.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Inter Milan vice-president Javier Zanetti is reportedly hoping to persuade former boss Jose Mourinho to allow Matteo Darmian to join the club on loan in January.

That's according to Stefano Pasquino of Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t Dan Gibbs of the Express), who added that the Serie A outfit are planning for Zanetti to hold talks with the United manager.

The 26-year-old has a solitary appearance in the UEFA Europa League to his name this season after suffering a drop in form last term following a promising start at Old Trafford.

Darmian is a versatile and talented player who deserves another chance to prove himself at United, but at this stage of his career he should be playing regularly—it would not be a surprise if he seeks a move in January.