Manchester United have submitted an opening offer for a "spectacular" midfielder, which is now being considered by his current club, according to a report.
Man Utd keen on new midfielder with Baleba the main target
INEOS and Man United are looking to sign a new central midfielder before the transfer deadline, and Carlos Baleba has emerged as one of their main targets, with it recently being revealed they could be set to make a bid for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder this week.
However, given that a deal for Baleba could amount to over £100m, the Red Devils may have to make some sales to raise funds, and Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Alejandro Garnacho is edging closer to a move to Stamford Bridge.
Romano said: "Chelsea and Man Utd are now in active talks to reach an agreement for Alejandro Garnacho. The contract for the player is done 100% already. Chelsea will accelerate now. Garnacho will become a Chelsea player in the summer transfer window. We’re entering the final stages. Garnacho, Chelsea player, very soon."
Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho during training
While Ruben Amorim's side are clearly looking to reinvest the potential £50m made from the sale of Garnacho on Baleba, the Brighton star is not the only target, and an offer has been submitted for a different central midfielder...
That is according to a report from Spain, which states Man United have now tabled an offer of close to €80m (£69m) for Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez, which the La Liga club are currently considering.
Fermin Lopez
Hansi Flick has been unable to guarantee Lopez a key role in his side, which could open the door for the midfielder to depart, and the Red Devils believe he would be the perfect addition to the squad.
There is also a feeling the Barcelona ace could be enticed by a move to Old Trafford, given the prospect of playing a leading role, and he is now considering whether to embark on a new challenge in the Premier League.
"Spectacular" Lopez could kick on at Old Trafford
The 22-year-old has predominantly featured in an attacking midfield role over the past year, and he has certainly caught the eye with his performances, performing very well across some key metrics, when compared to his positional peers.
Statistic Average per 90
Non-penalty goals 0.37 (79th percentile)
Assists 0.42 (95th percentile)
Pass completion % 82.2% (88th percentile)
However, the Spaniard is also a versatile player, as displayed by the fact he has most often played in central midfield throughout his career to date, and Xavi once praised his former midfielder for his attitude, stating he has a "spectacular mentality."
Lopez is a different type of player to Baleba, given that the 21-year-old is well-known to have more of a defensive mindset, so it would be fantastic if Man United were able to bring in both midfielders, although it is unclear whether their budget would allow that.
That is due to the fact Gianluigi Donarumma has also emerged as a target, with Amorim's side making an approach for the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, who now looks set to leave.