The end of the transfer window is fast approaching and Arsenal are having a tough time landing one of their top summer targets Shkodran Mustafi. However, they could end up pulling off a last minute deal with some indirect assistance from Premier League rivals Manchester United.
La Liga club Valencia haven’t made many notable additions to the squad this summer, apart from the signing of former Manchester United winger Nani from Turkish side Fenerbahce. However, Los Che may turn to another Red Devil to bolster their squad before the transfer window closes.
The Singaporean owner of Valencia, Peter Lim, has made contact with Manchester United over the availability of Argentine defender Marcos Rojo, according to Spanish publication Deporte Valenciano. The report adds that Valencia will be hoping to land him for €12 million Euros, but Man United want close to the €20 million they paid Sporting Lisbon in 2014 for Rojo.
The 26-year-old, who can play at both centre-back and left-back, has made 53 appearances for the Red Devils in his two seasons at Old Trafford. The negotiations will be helped by the fact that Jose Mourinho reportedly doesn’t rate Rojo very highly, and the Argentine is not expected to feature in the Portuguese manager’s plans.
There is another twist to the tale though, as the acquisition of Rojo could mean that Manchester United inadvertently strengthen one of their biggest Premier League rivals.
Arsenal have been in pursuit of Valencia centre-back Shkodran Mustafi, with the 24-year-old German international being seen as the long-term successor to Per Mertesacker. The need for signing Mustafi has been further intensified by the injury crisis at the Emirates that has seen Mertesacker ruled out till Christmas, and his back-up Gabriel Paulista for the first two months of the season.
It recently looked like negotiations had reached an impasse, with Los Che raising the asking price for Mustafi and manager Pako Ayestaran stating that the centre-back was definitely not for sale. However, if Valencia were to sign Marcos Rojo, the Gunners could yet coax them to part ways with Mustafi for a fee closer to their initial demands of €30 million (£25 million).
