According to Caught Offside, Manchester United have joined Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Genoa defender Koni De Winter during the summer transfer window.
Man United have focused on bolstering their attack during the early part of the summer. The Red Devils have already signed Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and talks are ongoing with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo.
However, the club could bolster other departments too, and Caught Offside claim that the Mancunian giants are keeping tabs on the situation of De Winter, who is also attracting interest from rivals Tottenham.
The 23-year-old has developed into a quality centre-back during his time in Italy with Genoa. He is presently valued between £26-30 million. It is claimed that United and Spurs have the ‘best chance’ to sign him.
Possible deal
De Winter made 25 appearances in the Italian top flight for Genoa last term. He was hugely impressive with a pass completion rate of 87%. The Belgian won an outstanding 69% of his aerial duels with 4.6 recoveries and 4.5 clearances per outing.
He has the attributes to suit the Premier League and United could be tempted to sign him to add more depth and competition in central defence. United manager Ruben Amorim has played with a three-man backline since his appointment last year.
After the free transfer exits of Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans (also retired), the Portuguese head coach may want an additional centre-back in the ranks, considering Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez have been vastly injury prone in recent years.
A left-footed central defender would be ideal, but United could pursue a deal for the right-footed De Winter due to the reasonable price tag. They will need to be wary of the interest from Spurs, who see the Belgian as a potential option if Cristian Romero departs.
Spurs have the luxury of Champions League football which could be an inducing factor. However, United are still a big attraction due to their past glory. Mbeumo recently informed Tottenham of his desire to join the Red Devils from the Bees despite the lack of Champions League football. United could aim to repeat the feat with De Winter.