Man Utd accelerate £168m TRIPLE DEAL after Liverpool hijack inferior move | OneFootball

Liverpool’s attempts to ramp up a move Manchester United had their eye on has resulted in the Red Devils accelerating a triple raid on RB Leipzig, while a disgruntled United star is ready to force his way out.

Triple trouble for RB Leipzig

TEAMtalk can reveal Man Utd have held initial talks for the first part of a triple raid on RB Leipzig.

United will spend heavily on new midfielders in the summer, though fans of the club should not sleep on the changes that’ll take place in defence.

Additions are being sought at both centre-back and left-back, and according to our sources, both boxes could be ticked by doing business with Bundesliga powerhouse Leipzig.

Our insider, Graeme Bailey, revealed Man Utd have been spoken to regarding the summer transfer of centre-back, Castello Lukeba.

Lukeba is a player held in extremely high regard across Europe and interest in the French defender is not new. Indeed, a number of clubs made enquiries last summer, but Leipzig made it clear at the time that they would not consider selling for anything below his release clause, which then stood at €90million (£77m / $104m).

However, sources can confirm that Lukeba’s clause is set to drop to €80million (£69m / $92m).

Crucially, during talks between the player’s representatives and interested clubs, it has also been indicated that a deal worth less than €70million could realistically be considered.

That revelation has significantly increased interest among Premier League sides, who view the 23-year-old defender as one of the most promising young centre-backs in Europe.

It has also been made clear during those conversations that Lukeba is keen on the idea of a move to England, further boosting the chances of a future transfer to the Premier League.

And Lukeba might not be the only Leipzig ace heading to Old Trafford, with German international left-back, David Raum, in United’s sights too.

The 27-year-old will have just one year remaining on his Leipzig deal come the summer, and as such, sources indicate a deal could be struck for as little as £30m, bringing the combined cost of the double swoop to roughly £90m.

What’s more, TEAMtalk transfer expert, Fraser Fletcher, has been provided with an update on a likely head-to-head battle between United and Chelsea for a third Leipzig star, who’d be the most expensive of the lot…

Liverpool hijack

Man Utd’s interest in Lukeba has assumed greater significance after CaughtOffside claimed bitter rivals Liverpool are set to step up their interest in Pierre Kalulu.

The Juventus centre-back has widely been reported as being on United’s radar, with a €30m / £26m price tag touted if he changes clubs this summer.

CaughtOffside state a move to Liverpool or Man Utd is the likeliest outcome if the Frenchman does arrive in England this summer.

But per the report, it’s Arne Slot’s Reds who are tipped to step on the gas and ramp up a move, irrespective of whether Ibrahima Konate signs a contract extension or leaves via free agency.

Aiding his appeal to Liverpool is Kalulu’s versatility, being capable of operating anywhere across the backline as and when required.

As such, he could be viewed as Liverpool’s natural successor to the long-serving Joe Gomez who’ll have one year left on his deal at season’s end.

If Liverpool don’t intend to offer a new contract, a summer sale for the 28-year-old while they can still generate a handy fee would make sense.

Game over for Joshua Zirkzee?

Finally, The Sun state Joshua Zirkzee is ready to call it quits on his underwhelming stint at Old Trafford and push for an exit in the summer.

Zirkzee has never been a regular starter since arriving from Bologna and in his second season at Man Utd, his game-time has been even more restricted.

The Dutchman reportedly believes he’s extremely under-used right now and with Benjamin Sesko finding his feet after a slow start, there’s no real hope of earning an extended run in the team.

If Zirkzee does take flight in the summer, a return to Serie A where his stock remains high is the likeliest outcome.