Manchester United are reportedly plotting a summer swoop for Napoli and Italy forward Lorenzo Insigne, who will be a free agent at the end of the season.
According to a report from Spanish publication Fichajes, Manchester United are eyeing a move for Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne in the summer of 2022, when he will be available on a free transfer.
A product of the Napoli youth academy, Insigne has spent his entire senior career with the Partenopei barring a couple of loan spells at the early stages. A club legend in every respect, the 30-year-old has racked up 406 appearances for the Naples-based outfit, scoring a total of 111 goals and setting up 88 more, in the process winning two Coppa Italia trophies and an Italian Super Cup.
Insigne was an integral part of the Italy national team that won the UEFA Euro 2020 earlier this year and has looked in good touch for Napoli in the new season, bagging two goals and three assists from seven league outings. However, his future at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium is far from secure owing to the veteran forward’s contract situation.
Indeed, Insigne is in the final year of his current deal with Napoli and is yet to reach an agreement on a new one, due to disparity in wages being offered and demanded. As a result, a number of clubs have taken an interest in potentially making a play to sign him on a free transfer next year. Now, Manchester United have also entered the fray, as per the aforementioned report.
Manchester United strengthened their attacking unit significantly this past summer with the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho. In addition to them, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata as options in the attacking unit, along with youngsters like Amad Diallo, Anthony Elanga among others.
However, among the aforementioned players, Cavani, Mata and Lingard are out of contract at the end of the season. In fact, the Red Devils are mulling over the possibility of cashing in on Lingard in January itself. Furthermore, Martial is also staring at an uncertain future at the club amid continued concerns over his inconsistent form while Ronaldo will be turning 37 in a few months.
So, another attacking addition would be welcome at Old Trafford next year. While a move for Ousmane Dembele of Barcelona has been touted, Insigne, too, has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United now. Although he would not be a long-term option by any stretch, the quality and the experience that he would bring to the table, would make him a valuable asset for the English bigwigs.
His potential availability on a free transfer only serves to add to the allure of making a move for him. With Insigne being allowed to speak to foreign clubs from January over a pre-contract agreement, it will be interesting to see if Manchester United do make an approach for the 51-time capped Italian international.
