United could land Juventus starDybala in Lukaku swap
MANCHESTER United could be set for a triple signing boost with young Juventus star Paulo Dybala joining Bruno Fernandes of Sporting Lisbon and long term Leicester target Harry Maguire at Old Trafford within days.
Argentinian forward Dybala (25) has suddenly appeared on United’s radar now that Juventus have emerged as the favourites to sign striker Romelu Lukaku who has been expected to join Serie A rivals Inter.
The Milan club, however, have refused to increase their €60m offer for Lukaku. United rejected that bid and intend to hold out until their €83m valuation of the former Everton man is met.
The stalemate has persuaded Juventus to seek talks with the Belgium striker who has not figured in United’s pre-season and who manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is eager to sell to fund new recruits.
One of those could now be highly rated Dybala (below) with Juventus considering offering him in part exchange as a way to reduce the cost of any potential Lukaku deal.
First to arrive will be Bruno Fernandes whose proposed move to Old Trafford looks close to completion. Sporting have accepted a £63m bid for the 24-year-old midfielder, who is set to undergo a medical.
United also look close to securing the signature of Leicester’s Harry Maguire. The Foxes value the 26-yearold at £80m, but there have been suggestions that they will be reluctant to sell beyond a certain point in the transfer window.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has dismissed such claims, instead hinting at a busy last two weeks of the summer window. “I haven’t really thought about that,” he said. “We have two weeks left to go in the window for all of the players. I think it’s just a case of everyone staying focused.”
United may look to strengthen in midfield, too, with the future of Paul Pogba still in doubt.
Tottenham’s want-away Christian Eriksen is a possibility. The Dane has just one year remaining on his current contract at Spurs. Another option may be Aston Villa’s John McGinn. The Scottish midfielder, who impressed for Villa in last season’s Championship promotion campaign, is rated at £50m. NORTHERN Ireland’s World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea emerged uninjured and victorious in a dramatic end to the tough Suzuka 8 Hour endurance race in Japan yesterday after it looked as though his late crash had dashed his Kawasaki team’s hopes.
Templepatrick-based Rea (32) had been on a charge to victory after surviving late scares from a crashing backmarker and rain which hit the track in the final 30 minutes.
But Rea (above) slid off the track after encountering an oil spill from a rival bike, triggering a red flag stoppage, after which the Yamaha team, running second, were awarded victory.
The decision was mistakenly made under a World Superbike rule which doesn’t apply to the Suzuka event, requiring unhurt Rea to make it back to the paddock within a five-minute window from his fall.
He said later: “Emotionally words can’t sum up today. I’m so proud of my team, my team mates and Kawasaki.”
A protest was immediately submitted by aggrieved Kawasaki chiefs which was upheld on review to reinstate Rea and his team-mates, Leon Haslam and Toprak Razgatlioglu.Rea also remains on course for an unprecedented fifth successive World Superbike title as he holds an 81-point lead at the season’s halfway stage.