Man Utd ‘formally enter’ bidding war reaching ‘unprecedented heights’ for Liverpool, Tottenham target – report | OneFootball

Manchester United are reported to have ‘formally entered’ the race, alongside Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, to sign a top Serie A centre-back in the summer transfer window.

Despite Old Trafford stalwart Harry Maguire closing in on a new contract at the club after impressing under interim manager Michael Carrick, the Red Devils are still expected to add another central defender to their ranks – especially with the club closing in on a return to Champions League football.

As we previously reported, contact has been made with the camp of highly-rated RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba over a summer switch to Man Utd, while Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven has also emerged as a potential target if the north London club suffer relegation to the Championship.

But it’s now being reported that United have officially signalled their interest in signing AS Roma talent Evan Ndicka, who has been a regular for the Italian giants since joining them on a free transfer in June 2023.

While his performances for the I Giallorossi have already seen him catch the attention of both Liverpool and Spurs, a report from Solo La Roma has detailed the level of United’s interest in the 26-year-old.

Ndicka has played in 35 matches in all competitions this season, chalking up five goals for a Roma team pushing for a Champions League spot in Italy.

There was mention of a potential swap deal involving the two clubs back in January, when Joshua Zirkzee was on the market, although nothing came to fruition.

However, United have retained an interest in Ndicka and have now taken that further by ‘formally entering’ the race for his signature, as per the report.

Indeed, Solo La Roma states: “The international bidding war for Evan Ndicka has reached unprecedented heights, transforming the Roma centre-back into a prized possession in the European defensive market.”

Roma open to Ndicka summer sale

Those ‘unprecedented heights’ are not fully explained, although it’s reported that Roma will not accept anything less than €45million (£39m / $56.1m) for his services.

Tottenham were known to have been in the mix for Ndicka last summer, but their hopes of resurrecting a deal will be obliterated if they go down, while Liverpool remain in the hunt for a replacement for soon-to-be free agent Ibrahima Konate.

As for Roma’s stance on selling, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side need to raise funds to strengthen their squad for next season and Ndicka’s departure will help with that.

Finally, the report adds that if Roma remain keen on Zirkzee, then there could still be some scope to revisit the swap proposal in the summer.

Manchester United are ‘actively exploring’ the situation of on an elite Premier League playmaker, with TEAMtalk sources confirming the club are “intrigued” by the prospect of bringing the player back to his  native North West.

Elsewhere, Red Devils legend David Beckham has explained why he thinks Michael Carrick is “exactly” the right fit to be the next permanent manager at Old Trafford.