Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are now willing to pay £60m to sign a Euro 2024 player this summer, pipping Liverpool to his signature in the process.
Man Utd transfer news
The Red Devils face a potentially huge summer of change, especially if Ratcliffe decides to sack Erik ten Hag, although that remains to be seen currently. Other candidates are being linked with replacing him, with their agents reportedly being spoken to, but the FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City could sway the club's thinking.
Benfica midfielder Joao Neves has been backed to move to United numerous times of late and has been compared to club legends Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, whetting the appetite for what a great signing he could be. He is still just 19 years of age, but has become a key man for his club side and could feature for Portugal at Euro 2024, too.
Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah has also emerged as a reported target for the Red Devils, being considered a good replacement for Raphael Varane and a long-term centre-back partner for Lisandro Martinez.
Meanwhile, Wolves attacker Matheus Cunha is viewed as an ideal player to come in and bolster the attacking options at Ten Hag's disposal, and the fact that they are thought to be willing to double his wages could be too great for the Brazilian to turn down.
Man Utd willing to pay £60m for Koopmeiners
According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are "immediately willing to pay a max sum of €60-70m (£51-60m)" for Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners in the summer window.
The Dutchman is also believed to be wanted by Liverpool, but Ratcliffe is seemingly looking to pip their rivals to his signature, in what could be a major coup.
Midfield is an area of the pitch where United may need to focus on this summer, with Casemiro linked with a move away, reportedly already saying his Old Trafford goodbyes. In Koopmeiners, the Red Devils could have a fantastic option, with the 26-year-old maturing into one of Serie A's most impressive midfielders, proving to be an influential box-to-box presence for Atalanta. He scored 12 goals and chipped in with five assists in the league in 2023/24, while former Ajax hero Ruud Krol has lauded him, saying:
"Koop is a great player. He has an international caliber and is the starter in the Dutch national team. I certainly see him doing well at a big club. Juve or Milan? He would certainly be invaluable to both of them. Koopmeiners can play in all positions in the middle of the pitch: both as a playmaker and as a midfielder. He is a complete footballer who would be useful for all coaches, including Allegri."
Appearances
34
Starts
29
Goals
12
Assists
5
Key passes per game
1.8
Shots per game
1.6
Tackles per game
1.1
Pass completion rate
81.6%
If United could bring in both Neves and Koopmeiners, it could be significant in terms of the midfield rebuild, suddenly giving them so much more youth and quality in the middle of the park, and supporters should get a chance to watch both at Euro 2024.