Manchester United have now hatched a plan to sign an "exceptional" £120m star in a swap deal for Jadon Sancho, with Ruben Amorim pushing INEOS to get a deal done, according to a report.
Man Utd still keen to strengthen in several areas
With their Premier League opener against Arsenal a matter of days away, Man United still remain keen on strengthening in several key areas, and Gary Neville believes his former side's most important task will be to bring in a new goalkeeper.
Neville is relatively encouraged by the additions Amorim has made up to this point, but added: "If they get a goalkeeper, I think that they could get into the top six, but a lot of things have to go on."
Paris Saint-Germain's Gianluigi Donnarumma has recently entered the frame as one of the Red Devils' main targets, but it remains to be seen whether they are able to sign the Italian, given that they are now planning to break the bank on a midfielder...
Indeed, Man United are expected to make a huge bid for Brighton & Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba, but they have also hatched a plan to secure the central midfielder's signature in a different way.
That is according to a report from The Independent, which states Man United would be willing to use Sancho as a makeweight in negotiations with Brighton, although it is deemed unlikely that the Seagulls will be tempted by a deal of that nature.
Instead, owner Tony Bloom is holding out for the huge sum of £120m, and INEOS are now actively trying to figure out a way of orchestrating the deal, amid pressure from Amorim.
Man Utd AMORIM
The United boss is said to be pushing for the club's hierarchy to bring in Baleba, with the manager keen on a new midfielder to fit the team together, and the Brighton star has the best profile of any player on the shortlist.
"Exceptional" Baleba very keen on Old Trafford move
With the defensive midfielder thought to be very keen on joining Amorim's side, the move could be a formality if United are able to agree a suitable fee with Brighton, although they are driving a very hard bargain with the £120m asking price.
That said, there are some signs the Cameroon international could be worth the huge outlay, having performed extremely well on some key defensive metrics over the past year compared to other midfielders.
Statistic Average per 90
Interceptions 1.56 (90th percentile)
Blocks 1.59 (85th percentile)
Tackles 2.67 (79th percentile)
Lauded as "exceptional" by scout Ben Mattinson, the 21-year-old is also Premier League proven, which is crucial, given that previous signings, such as Rasmus Hojlund, have failed to adapt to life in England after joining for huge transfer fees.
It seems unlikely that a swap deal for Sancho will be possible, but it is exciting news that Amorim is pushing to get a deal for Baleba over the line.