Manchester United have started fresh talks to sign Valencia star Nicolas Otamendi, reports the Metro.
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The defender has been rated at at least €50 million by the La Liga outfit, reported ESPN, which would be a huge fee for a defender.
The only other centre-back to have moved clubs for a similar fee was David Luiz, who joined Paris Saint-Germain from Chelsea for £50 million [Daily Mail]. However, United have shown a propensity for spending big on their back line recently, with the £27 million acquisition [BBC] of Luke Shaw one example.
Otamendi played 38 times for Valencia last season, helping them to concede just 32 goals in La Liga. Only Atletico Madrid and Barcelona bettered that total, and it got Nuno’s side in to the Champions League places.
The Red Devils are in need of a centre-back after struggling with an error-prone back line last time around.
Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, and Jonny Evans all made mistakes at times, meaning that manager Louis van Gaal will need to improve the area before facing the Champions League next time round. With four competitions to play in, the Dutchman will need to bolster the depth of his squad ahead of the campaign.
According to the Metro, United have been tracking the Argentina international for six months, and are finally looking to back up that interest. Now that the player has returned from the Copa America, they will restart their efforts to sign the former Porto man.