Manchester United are reportedly ready to splash €75 million in order to secure the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente in the summer.
According to a report from Spanish publication El Gol Digital, Premier League giants Manchester United are intent on raiding Atletico Madrid in the upcoming transfer window for the signing of midfielder Marcos Llorente. The Red Devils are willing to pay up as much as €75 million to secure the Spaniard’s services.
Llorente came through the youth ranks at Real Madrid and broke into the first-team following an impressive loan spell at Alaves during the 2016/17 season. However, given the presence of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, the 26-year-old could never really establish a foothold in the starting XI at the Bernabeu and ended up signing for cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid in 2019.
Since signing for the Rojiblancos, Llorente has attained somewhat of a cult hero status among the fans having scored some important goals in his near two-year stint with the club. Till date, the Spanish international has racked up 80 appearances for Atletico, scoring 18 goals and setting up 17 more and has been one of their main protagonists in the La Liga title push this season.
Even though he started out as a defensive midfielder, under Diego Simeone, Llorente has thrived in much advanced positions, playing off of the main striker or even ought on the right-wing. This versatility, coupled with his goalscoring acumen and off-the-ball work-rate make the former Real Madrid man a critical part of the Colchoneros setup.
And, it is for those exact reasons that Manchester United are plotting a swoop for the 26-year-old in the summer. The Red Devils will soon need a central midfielder as a long-term replacement for the ageing Nemanja Matic while question marks continue to remain over the future of Paul Pogba, who is entering the final year of his contract with the club.
In addition to that, with last summer’s signing Donny van de Beek failing to settle in as expected, there have been talks of him being moved on in the summer as well, opening up the room for a new central midfield addition. Llorente, to that end, would be a viable target for Manchester United, considering that he can easily slot in as a No. 6 or provide Ole Gunnar Solskjaer options further upfield as well.
And, in order to secure the signing of the former Real Madrid ace, Manchester United are now said to be willing to shell out €75 million while also offer Llorente a significant rise on his current wages. Atletico Madrid, for their part, are intent on holding on to their star man and are planning a new contract offer to stave off the interest from the Premier League giants. It now remains to be seen if a deal sees the light of the day this summer.