Valencia are reportedly set to rival Barcelona to land Ander Herrera from Manchester United in the summer
According to a report in the Daily Mirror, Valencia are interested in signing Ander Herrera. The La Liga outfit are set to battle Barcelona in pursuit of the Manchester United midfielder in the summer transfer window.
Herrera joined Manchester United from Athletic Bilbao in 2014 in a £29million deal. But his first two campaigns were a roller coaster ride, as he struggled to nail down a spot as a regular under Louis van Gaal. The arrival of Jose Mourinho in this season, though, saw the Spaniard resurrect his career at Old Trafford.
Valencia are ready to launch a £30m move for #MUFC midfielder Ander Herrera. (Source: Daily Mirror) pic.twitter.com/rNHj95DqkY
— Football News Live (@FootballNews756) June 4, 2017
Herrera has blossomed into one of the most complete midfielders in the Premier League, affecting games on both ends of the pitch. He is now rightly one of the first names on the teamsheet at Manchester United, and the player made 50 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils, chipping in with 2 goals and 11 assists.
Having established himself as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League, clubs in his native country are starting to turn their attention towards Herrera. Barcelona have been heavily linked with him in recent weeks and the Catalan club have now been joined by La Liga rivals in pursuit of the player.
Barcelona signed Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes as midfield reinforcements last summer, but neither player managed to live up to their billing this season. On top of that, club captain Andres Iniesta is approaching the end of his glittering career as well, and it is believed that Barcelona are keen to recruit a long-term successor for him.
They have, thus, set their sights on Herrera over a move in the summer transfer window, with newly appointed manager Ernesto Valverde also said to be his admirer. However, the Blaugranas are not alone in their pursuit of the Manchester United midfielder, with Valencia now joining them in the race to sign the player.
At Valencia, newly-appointed head coach Marcelino is a huger admirer of Herrera’s talents, having previously worked with him at Real Zaragoza. With Los Che eager to challenge for European football once again, following two seasons of bottom half finishes in La Liga, Herrera has been identified as one of the priority targets.
In fact, Marcelino aims to build his side around the 27-year-old, and has asked Valencia owner Peter Lim to bankroll a £30 million move for the player this summer. Manchester United, though, have rebuffed an initial enquiry from the Spanish club, and will maintain a strict ‘not for sale’ stance on their prized asset.
As far as Herrera is concerned, he is unlikely to be keen on making a move to either side, as a move to Barcelona could see him share his game time, while Valencia do not have Champions League football on offer for next season.
In contrast, he is a regular fixture in the Manchester United first-team picture, and is set to play Europe’s premier club competition next season. Therefore, a move away from the club is highly unlikely for the Spaniard, who is set to continue his resurgence under Jose Mourinho next season.
