Manchester United are looking to hijack a deal Manchester City were seemingly in pole position to complete this summer, according to a new report.
United splashing the cash
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's first summer transfer window at Old Trafford has got underway with a bang. The Red Devils have already spent close to £100m, signing Joshua Zirkzee in a deal worth £36.5m to add firepower to Erik ten Hag's ranks following the departure of Anthony Martial on a free transfer.
They have also added promising defender Leny Yoro to their side in a deal which saw them beat off competition from both Real Madrid and Premier League rivals Liverpool, in a move that saw them shell out £52m for his services.
More additions are expected at Old Trafford too. The Red Devils have held serious talks with Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt and have also seen two bids knocked back for Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, while the Manchester Evening News claim that the club "have refused to rule out moves" for either player despite Yoro's arrival.
For now though, attention is thought to be on midfield, with one of Scott McTominay and Casemiro likely to depart this summer to make room for a fresh face in the Old Trafford engine room.
They have been strongly linked with PSG's Manuel Ugarte, who has even reportedly agreed personal terms with the Old Trafford side ahead of a potential switch, but PSG are not budging from their 70m euro (£59m) valuation of the Urugauyan. Now, their attention has been drawn elsewhere, according to one sensational report.
United ready to hijack City move
That is according to Spanish outlet AS, who claim that Manchester United are making a late move for EURO 2024 star Dani Olmo. The Spaniard finished as the top goalscorer at the tournament as he helped Spain to EURO success in Germany, beating England 2-1 in the final. But his qualities have been well known before that, with Pep Guardiola dubbing him a "top" player during his time at Dinamo Zagreb.
"He's a top player – he has a bright future, of course. His performance today shows it. About the transfer and the money he deserves, that is not the point," the City boss explained.
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Though he still has three years left to run on his £168,000 per week deal with RB Leipzig, his deal has a release clause valued at 60m euros, which expires next week, and he has strongly been linked with a move away.
Speaking to Spanish media, he did little to play down those links: "My advisors, who are dealing with this, already know what I want to do. I don't know if I will stay in Germany, we will see. I want to be in a place where I am appreciated and loved and what I want to do is win. There are several options, we will see what happens", he explained.
And previous reports have claimed that Manchester City is his most likely destination, with Football Insider claiming that "advanced talks" took place over a deal earlier this week, with City in pole position.
Now though, Spanish outlet AS report that Manchester United have "entered the scene with force" to try and poach Olmo's signature from their Manchester rivals. For their part, Leipzig are happy to let him leave should the clause be met.
A move for Olmo would look strange given the options already available at Old Trafford. The Spaniard is able to play on either flank, as a striker or as a no.10, all of which are well covered within Ten Hag's ranks.
Options in attack for Erik ten Hag
Player
Position
Joshua Zirkzee
Striker
Marcus Rashford
Left Wing
Rasmus Hojlund
Striker
Alejandro Garnacho
Left Wing
Jadon Sancho
Right Wing
Amad Diallo
Right Wing
Antony
Right Wing
Bruno Fernandes
Attacking midfield
Mason Mount
Attacking midfield
With Jadon Sancho having reconciled with Erik ten Hag and Mason Mount now back from injury, there are even more options available to the Red Devils than there were last season, and a move for Olmo would be altogether bizarre despite the excitement of potentially beating their noisy neighbours to his signing.