Real Madrid gives Man United the green light as Ten Hag inches up on an Arsenal target he’s ‘crazy’ with
According to rumors, La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid are willing to allow defender David Alaba depart for Manchester United before the end of the summer window.
The Red Devils are on the lookout for a new center-back this summer, with reports claiming Harry Maguire will leave before the end of the transfer season.
Mason Mount and Andre Onana have already joined from Chelsea and Inter Milan, respectively, with Atalanta attacker Rasmus Hojlund considered to be Erik ten Hag’s next target.
After that, rumors indicate that Manchester United will try to sign another midfielder and a center-back before the transfer season closes.
Kim Min-jae was allegedly one of their top targets at center-back, but the southeast Korean international has now joined Bayern Munich on a five-year deal from Napoli.
And the Spanish newspaper Nacional now claims that former Bayern Munich defender Alaba, who can play at centre-back, left-back, or even midfield, is on his way to Old Trafford.
According to the source, Real Madrid has nodded ‘OK’ to Manchester United for Alaba, with the Austrian international set to ‘end up accepting the offer’ from the Premier League club.
Alaba is currently ‘in negotiations’ with Manchester United, according to Nacional, and Ten Hag is ‘crazy with him and wants to have him under his supervision’ at Old Trafford.
And Manchester United are willing to “make a very significant investment” to get him to leave Real Madrid this summer, while Los Blancos have “already begun to prepare in case” he does.
The reports come after the same source claimed that Arsenal were planning an offer for the versatile defender last week in an attempt to ‘convince Florentino Perez to open the doors’ for the Red Devils.
Alaba does want to play in the Premier League, according to the source, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is ‘confident that he can strike an agreement’.
They may be battling for players in the transfer market, but Man Utd manager Ten Hag also met Arsenal in a pre-season friendly over the weekend, with the Red Devils winning 2-0.
Ten Hag was happy with his side’s display, he told reporters: “I think it’s very good. The way we played, I was really pleased, how active we were in and out of possession.
“That is the way we want to play and that is the only period of the year you can really work in training and translate it to games without it having consequences.
“But still, we want to win, and I think the lads showed we played a good game.
“Of course, they are all great games. We have to go and it helps us to progress and especially those opponents, they are good.
“Arsenal is a really good opponent. They played incredibly good last season in the Premier League, so yeah, that’s good to match with them, then you will be better.”
