Manchester United are reportedly set to focus their attentions on signing Moises Caicedo after reaching an ‘impasse’ with Chelsea over the signing of Mason Mount.
United are in the market for a new dynamic midfielder this summer, with Chelsea’s Mason Mount having emerged as their prime target, though have seen three bids for the England international rejected.
United swiftly saw their opening offers of £40 million and £50m rejected by their Premier League rivals, and while the Blues did seemingly consider the improved third offer of £55m, they eventually knocked that back on Friday evening.
It was reported that Chelsea informed United that they would accept a bid of £58 million plus £7m in add-ons, though according to reports this evening, Manchester United are now set to drop their interest in the player.
According to the Times, the Red Devils are now ‘focusing on other midfield targets’, with United deeming Chelsea’s £65m valuation of Mount as ‘unrealistic’, particularly given that the midfielder only has a year remaining on his current deal at Stamford Bridge and is keen to leave. They say officials at Old Trafford believe they are being charged a ‘Manchester United tax’, especially given that Chelsea have swiftly agreed a £30m deal with Manchester City for the sale of Mateo Kovacic.
The report says that Brighton’s Moises Caicedo is at the top of United’s list of alternatives, even though the Seagulls are said to value the Ecuadorian significantly more than Mount at around £80 million.
Caicedo is believed to be on Chelsea’s radar, and was also the subject of a £70 million bid from Arsenal in the January window, while he was previously linked with a move to Old Trafford prior to joining Brighton.
United have reportedly been ‘maintaining a dialogue’ with the midfielder’s representatives and will now ‘intensify efforts to explore a deal’.
As for their interest in Mount, the report says that their £55 million offer for the Englishman will remain on the table, and they could revisit the deal if Chelsea agree to compromise.
Aside from their interest in signing a midfielder, the report says United will also ‘step up attempts to sign a new centre forward’, with Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani, and Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus among their targets.
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