Man Utd willing to 'immediately' pay £51m to sign 22-goal/assist midfielder - report
Manchester United are prepared to pay up to £60 million to sign Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners this summer, according to Calciomercato.
The Red Devils will likely make multiple changes during the summer transfer window and a marquee midfielder could be one of the priorities.
Juventus have reportedly been following Koopmeiners for some time, but they can only afford to pay £34m while offering a player as a makeweight.
Young centre-back Dean Huijsen is the only player of interest from the Europa League champions.
Man United and Liverpool are prepared to immediately pay between £51m and £60m for Koopmeiners, but it may not be enough to persuade Atalanta.
With the European Championship coming up in Germany, Atalanta could demand more than £60m if Koopmeiners impresses for the Netherlands.
Koopmeiners to Man Utd could be purely agent-driven
Koopmeiners started his career in the number six position at AZ Alkmaar, but he has transformed into a regular attacking midfielder since moving to Bergamo.
The Dutchman bagged 15 goals and seven assists in 51 outings this season. He was also impressive with his recoveries and high pressing.
The 26-year-old also registered two key passes per game and was a regular attacking threat.
Despite this, United are unlikely to make an approach. The club’s primary concern is in the defensive midfield position after a below-par season for Casemiro.
Koopmeiners may not be suitable for the role as he is weak in duels. The asking price could also be a stumbling block.
Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana would be a better alternative and could be signed for £26m.
The speculation regarding Koopmeiners is probably agent-driven. The player wants to join Juventus, and United are being used to put pressure on them.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com.