Man Utd find out asking price for ‘priority target’ as Chelsea enter ‘war’ for Sunderland star | OneFootball

Man Utd have been informed how much it will cost to prise Noah Sadiki away from Sunderland in the summer transfer window, according to reports.

The Red Devils spent over £200m on new players last summer with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS concentrating on improving their attack, as Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo all signed.

Their goalscoring has been much better this season but many fans were disappointed to see that Man Utd overlooked their midfield, which was seen as potentially their weakest area.

But now Man Utd are set invest tens of millions into that part of their squad this summer with widespread reports indicating they will bring in at least two new midfielders.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba are just some of the midfielders linked over the last year.

And now Sunderland star Sadiki is one of the latest names to be linked with the defensive midfielder one of the Black Cats’ standout stars since returning to the Premier League this season.

Caught Offside claim that Chelsea are eyeing Sadiki as a potential replacement for Enzo Fernandez and ‘held fresh talks with his representatives last week’.

Man Utd ‘regard Sadiki as one of their priority targets’ with scouts attending many of the DR Congo international’s matches this season, while Tottenham, Arsenal and Everton are also credited with some interest.

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Sunderland want as much as double the market value for the Man Utd target

For Sunderland’s part, the Black Cats see Sadiki ‘as central to their long-term project and has no intention of selling’ the 21-year-old this summer.

Despite Sadiki’s current market valuation sitting around €30m, Sunderland are warning Man Utd and other clubs that they will need to stump up around double that to buy the midfielder.

The report adds: ‘Only an astronomical bid would force them to reconsider. Figures in the region of €50–60 million could make them think twice. That would represent a huge rise in value for a player signed from Union Saint-Gilloise for €17 million.’

TEAMtalk revealed last month that Man Utd are now facing significant competition for the Sunderland star’s signature with confirmation that Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham are also interested.

Similar to the news Caught Offside brought today, we revealed that Sunderland have indicated the club have no current intention of sanctioning a sale and instead view Sadiki as a central figure in their long-term project.

Former Man Utd striker Louis Saha insists that Enzo Fernandez would be a “no-brainer” signing for the Red Devils if the Argentina international leaves Chelsea this summer.

Saha told Betinia: “I don’t think Enzo Fernandez has the same style as Bruno Fernandes, but he could still fit into that midfield.

“He has the calmness on the ball, the intelligence, and the ability to open up play. He’s not exactly the same as a holding midfielder like Caicedo, but he has aggression and quality.

“It would be a no-brainer, but if he is available, it’s definitely something Manchester United should consider.”