Manchester United showed their intent to strengthen their defence, ahead of the upcoming season, with a renewed bid for Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, on Saturday.
United have had their fair share of defensive problems over the 2014/15 season, with a team that seemed more top-heavy than usual.
Manager Louis van Gaal seems to be trying to address this problem by signing Ramos, who is widely regarded as one of the top defenders in the world.
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According to Spanish paper AS, Manchester United have launched a A?42.5 million bid for Sergio Ramos, which is their second attempt to land the Spanish defender.
The Spaniard has been pursued by the Manchester-based club for quite some time now, this summer, with Real Madrid already having turned down a A?32 million bid from United. Real are reportedly looking for something around the region of A?50 million, for Ramos.
Ramos has been at the Bernabeu for around a decade now, and has reportedly been unhappy with the club, which is why he seems to be looking for a move. However, Real seem to be reluctant to let the 29-year-old leave cheaply, as he still has two years left on his contract.
Starting out as a right-back, for Real Madrid, Ramos later went on to become their mainstay in the heart of the defence, with a string of fellow centre-backs, like Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, and Rafael Varane. His physical presence, areal threat, and pace in defence is something that could benefit United greatly, as they look to build on van Gaala s Dutch style of play.
Ramos has won almost everything there is to win, at Real, with three La Liga, two Copa Del Rey, and one Champions League titles. He has also won two Euro Championships, and one World Cup, with Spain, which might indicate that he needs a fresh challenge in his career.
However, not all at the Bernabeu are entirely happy with Ramosa impending departure. Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has urged the Spanish defender to stay at Real, saying that he rang-up the Spanish defender, to talk about the issue, as reported by AS.
It would be interesting to see whether Real accept Uniteda s current bid, or whether the bargaining would last longer. Whatever be the case, both the clubs would surely want a player of Ramosa calibre in their defence.