Red Devils consider move for Inter ace.
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Manchester United look set to switch their focus to Inter Milan midfielder Fredy Guarin after appearing to give up hope of signing Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich, CaughtOffside understands.
The Red Devils have long been keen to add a new world class addition to their midfield after the retirement of legendary playmaker Paul Scholes has left them short of creativity in that department, and Guarin now seems to be the top priority for the club’s new manager Louis van Gaal.
It looked for some time that Bayern star Kroos would be the man brought in to Old Trafford to fill that gap, but recent reports suggest that Real Madrid are currently winning the race for his signature as they are more willing to meet his high wage demands, while the fact that they have Champions League football for next season will also no doubt be playing a part in his decision.
Another target, Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas, also looks to be off the cards as he closes in on a move to Chelsea, leaving United to ponder other candidates to come in, with Guarin emerging as one of the most impressive to van Gaal, along with another Bayern star in Bastian Schweinsteiger.
The 27-year-old has been at the San Siro since 2012, and has continued to show himself to be one of the top performers in Europe, having initially impressed with both Saint-Etienne and Porto.
With four goals and six assists in Serie A this season, Guarin has shown great effectiveness going forward as well as being a strong defensive player in the middle of the park, and could provide United with some much-needed bite in that position.
The likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona have also shown an interest in Guarin in recent times, while a proposed move to Inter’s rivals Juventus is also reported to have fallen through back in January.
Inter will no doubt be keen to keep hold of the Colombian international, but United may be willing to pay as much as £25m to bring him to Old Trafford this summer, as they are determined not to endure another summer like last year, which saw them miss out on a whole host of midfield targets, eventually leading to the rushed signing of Marouane Fellaini from Everton.
The arrival of a player such as Guarin could also see players like Fellaini leave the club this summer, with van Gaal keen to put his own stamp on the United squad with some departures as well as new signings.
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