Manchester United are reportedly eyeing a move for Napoli’s midfield general Stanislav Lobotka as Ruben Amorim looks for reinforcements in the middle of the park.
According to reports in Italy, United have joined Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain in pursuit of the Slovakian, who wears the number 68 shirt for Antonio Conte’s side.
TMW write that Lobotka “could leave in the summer” as it is Napoli’s last chance to make some real money from the player, who turns 31 at the end of November.
Barcelona have “already made it known” that they are keen on him, and now PSG and United have also “expressed their desire to sit down and talk about the situation.”
For Napoli’s part, there could be a willingness to sell in a bid to “rejuvenate” their midfield and they may look for a replacement on lower wages than the €3.5m a year they currently pay the 30-year-old.
TMW claim that the Partenopei currently value Lobotka at €40m but indicate that there is likely to be room for manoeuvre on this figure.
The news outlet write that he has been “one of Napoli’s best players in the last three seasons” and note that last season “he was one of the few to survive a disastrous year” which saw the club move through three coaches in one campaign.
The Naples club signed Scott McTominay from United last year and the Scot has reached new heights in Italy, rubbing salt in the wounds of his struggling former employers.
TMW also quote the player himself who, speaking to Radio CRC, sounds happy with his current situation at Napoli. He said: “Every day I work to help the team, I try to be a leader on the pitch.
“When we have the ball I try to give everyone a hand to win the game. We are a really good team, both on the pitch and especially off the pitch, this is very important to me.”
It’s certainly the kind of mentality which would likely appeal to Amorim, but his quotes don’t read like a player preparing to depart his club.
United are sure to hand the Portuguese a new central midfielder this summer, with 33-year-old Christian Eriksen set to depart Old Trafford and question marks surrounding Casemiro despite his recent resurgence in form.
Amorim needs all the help he can get from the United board as he looks to build a team capable of bouncing back to the top level after this historically bad season comes to an end.
Atalanta’s Ederson is another player under consideration, and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano yesterday confirmed that he is top of the club’s wishlist to beef up their midfield.
Feature image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
