Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is set to splash
the cash by meeting AS Roma’s £30 million asking price for Mehdi Benatia,
according to the Daily Express.
Van Gaal has made a big impact at the club already despite
being in charge for less than a month following his time as Netherlands head
coach at the World Cup. He finished a respectable third by beating Brazil in
the play-off and then headed to Manchester to begin working with the first
team.
Furthermore, a deal for Benatia could possibly be done
after Gazzetta
dello Sportreported that Roma wanted €30 million for the defender.
He has already brought the side on huge strides by winning
the International Champions Cup during pre-season and is now looking at
strengthening his defence ahead of the new Premier League season.
According to reports, the Dutchman will make a £40 million
double swoop for Benatia and Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen, who is available for
just £10m.
The Belgian’s contract expires next summer and Arsenal are
looking to make some money on him before losing him for nothing, and United are
happy to pay what it takes to get him at Old Trafford, despite his alarming
decline in form over the past couple of years.
Benatia is the marquee signing that United are going after,
though, with many teams around Europe seriously interested in the central
defender.
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester City have
all been linked to Benatia, who had a fantastic campaign in Serie A last
season. He won’t be cheap but Van Gaal is allegedly willing to pay the asking
price in order to make him his main central defender.
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