Tottenham 'step up efforts' to sign Premier League captain and Man Utd and Liverpool target
Man United have been linked to signing a Premier League captain this summer to bolster their defence.
Ruben Amorim has added significant talent this summer to his squad. He’s been able to strengthen in attack by signing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, and they all showed signs of promise in the first game against Arsenal on Sunday.
However, Amorim is yet to add much to his defence, and with Lisandro Martinez still nowhere near returning to full fitness, meaning that it could be useful for Amorim to bring in reinforcements before the end of the transfer window.
Furthermore, they lost Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans as free agents, and so defensive depth could be crucial, especially if they suffer more injuries like they did in the early part of last season under Erik Ten Hag.
Tottenham to rival Man United for Nathan Collins
With the Red Devils looking to add more depth in defence, they have been linked to signing Brentford captain Nathan Collins, who has attracted a significant amount of interest from big Premier League clubs. Last year, he made 38 Premier League appearances for Brentford, scoring two goals and providing three assists.
Man United will likely have to sell before they can buy more players this summer, as they have already spent over £200m on new additions. According to a new report to Caught Offside, Tottenham are stepping up their efforts to sign Collins this summer to reunite him with former manager Thomas Frank.
The report says that Spurs could swoop in ahead of Man United because they don’t need to sell before buying. It is not clear whether Brentford would be willing to sell, as they have already lost Bryan Mbeumo and could potentially lose Yoane Wissa this summer. Furthermore, new manager Keith Andrews made Collins his captain for the new season.
He is estimated to be worth around £24m, but Brentford would likely demand a much higher fee based on his value to them as a captain and as a defender.
Are there any other defenders linked to Man United?
In terms of recent links, Collins is the only centre-back linked with a move to Old Trafford; however, if Tottenham can sign the Irish international, Man United would have to consider other options to strengthen in defence.
Early in the summer transfer window, United were linked with Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, who was close to joining Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, but no deal materialised, despite a reported £47m transfer fee agreement.
Being a player that Ruben Amorim knows, it would be a sensible signing for United, but based on Sporting’s tough negotiating history, it could be a difficult deal to get done. However, the 21-year-old would be an impressive signing, as last season, he made 46 appearances for Sporting, helping them to the league title despite Amorim leaving.