Manchester United have expressed an interest in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcántara, who has spent most of the summer being linked with a move to Liverpool.
Thiago has entered the final year of his contract at the Allianz Arena and has expressed an interest in leaving, with Liverpool understood to be his primary suitors.
Jürgen Klopp's side are yet to pull the trigger on the deal, which is expected to cost somewhere close to the £27m mark, and now Norwegian journalist Fredrik Filtvedt claims that United have joined the race for his signature.
In fact, not only are United chasing Thiago, but they are also keen on Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek, who is understood to have spoken to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about a potential move to Old Trafford this summer.
Filtvedt's post later attracted interest from fellow journalists Jan Aage Fjortoft and Jonas Giæver, both of whom described Filtvedt as a 'well-connected journalist' whose reports should be listened to carefully.
Finding some midfield reinforcements is one of Solskjaer's top priorities this summer. With Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira both tipped to leave Old Trafford, the boss wants more depth to ensure United can compete on all fronts.
That was the reasoning behind a move for Van de Beek and it would also explain why United have taken an interest in Thiago.
We could see this saga come to a conclusion in the near future. Bayern executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently told WELT Sport that they expect to receive an official offer for Thiago in the coming days, but declined to mention from whom that may come.
United will likely have no problem with his £27m price tag, but any bid may force Liverpool into action. Klopp is keen on Thiago and the feeling is thought to be mutual, so the Reds still appear to be the favourites on paper.
However, as we saw with Liverpool's pursuit of Timo Werner, they are prepared to stand firm on their valuation of key targets, even if that sees them miss out on those players to Premier League rivals.
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Source : 90min