Manchester United are reportedly preparing a formal proposal to sign Atletico Madrid star Marcos Llorente, according to Spanish newspaper Transfers.
Since moving to the Estadio Metropolitano from Real Madrid, the 31-year-old has had a successful spell, winning one La Liga title.
In 29 appearances in all competitions so far this season, the Spaniard has contributed six goals and kept eight clean sheets. In addition, he helped his side beat Barcelona 4-0 in the Copa del Rey semi-final in midweek.
However, with his existing deal set to expire at the end of next season, speculation has arisen over his future ahead of the upcoming summer window.
Transfers state that Man Utd value Llorente’s versatility, so they have identified him as a serious option to strengthen the squad and are ‘preparing’ a formal £35m offer to complete the deal.
The Old Trafford club are ‘determined’ to strengthen the squad with a statement purchase and are prepared to ‘intensify’ negotiations to complete the operation in the coming weeks.
Llorente started his career as a defensive midfielder, but has mainly played as a right back since joining Los Rojiblancos. Diego Simeone has even used him in the RWB position at times.
Llorente to Man Utd
Man Utd currently have Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui as options to deploy in the right-back position. However, Dalot has struggled to consistently produce his best performances, while Mazraoui has been on the periphery since returning from AFCON.
On the other hand, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo are United’s midfielders. However, Casemiro is set to leave as a free agent at the end of the season, while Ugarte has found it difficult to adjust to the physicality of the Premier League.
Llorente is a talented player and has proven his worth in the Spanish top over the years. So he could be a smart signing for Man Utd to add depth to the squad if they were to buy him.
However, the Atletico Madrid star will turn 32 next year, and Man Utd have not signed a single player over the age of 30 since the arrival of INEOS. So it would be a surprise if they signed him.
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