With so much change planned for the summer you might be forgiven for asking ‘will there be any players left form the current squad come August?’ Oh yeah there is Wayne Rooney of course. Thankfully for Manchester United fans, we know that he is staying to lead the charge for David Moyes’s new team – assuming the boss gets that chance.
But three more potential arrivals have been in the headlines of late. The first is a player we have heard much about for the last year or so. It’s the brilliant young Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala. Porto must be absolutely wetting themselves in anticipation of how much money they are going to get for this lad. Because it seems that every top club wants him.
Manchester United will surely pursue their interest in him in the summer but you do feel as if Moyes may have missed a trick in not signing the 23 year old Frenchman sooner. Because The Daily Mail suggests that Manchester City are perhaps edging closer to a deal.
And the two Manchester clubs may find themselves battling it out for more players than just Mangala this summer. The Daily Mail reports:
Manchester City and Manchester United are watching Sao Paulo’s teenage defender Lucas Silva.
The 17-year-old captained Brazil in October’s U17 World Cup and made his first team debut in November. He has played at centre-back and right-back but has also attracted the attention of Juventus.
Both Manchester clubs have also continued to scout Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez.
The 22-year-old was earmarked for a move to Barcelona but their transfer ban has put that under threat pending their appeal.
Martinez is a stylish player in possession but there are reservations about his physical attributes for the Premier League.
There is little doubt Manchester United will start the season with some new defenders in their squad. You would have to say that Mangala would be the dream buy for the back line. But it certainly won’t be easy to snare him with those in the Middle Eastlands also keen. They have money coming out of their ar…mpits.
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