Manchester United is keen to sign Merih Demiral from Atalanta with Real Madrid also eyeing a move. According to the Italian news outlet Tutto Atalanta, the Red Devils are leading the chase to sign the Turkish defender. However, the Spanish giants Real Madrid are also after his signature.
Demiral is under contract at the Turin club Juventus and playing at Atalanta on loan. He joined the club last season in the summer and excelled for the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia outfit. The Turkish international played a crucial part for his team, establishing himself as a bulwark for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side. The defender made 42 appearances for the club since last summer. He also chipped in with 2 goals and 3 assists for his team.
Even with Man United and the Los Blancos chasing him, Atalanta has an option to make the loan transfer permanent this summer. We expect Atalanta to trigger the same imminently. However, the Italian club can follow the same route they did with Romero last summer. They can also look forward to buying him permanently from Juventus and then selling him for a profit instantaneously.
Who needs Demiral more?
Manchester United enters the transfer market with a new manager at the helm. Even with big names arriving for them last summer including Varane, Ronaldo, and Sancho, they finished 6th in the PL table. Senior players like Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof share a big chunk of ‘the blame game’. Their inconsistent and slipshod outings cost the Red Devils a lot of points in this recently concluded season. Varane had a tough start to his career in Manchester plagued by continuous injuries. With Phil Jones and Eric Bailly set to exit, there is room to bring quality defenders through the doors of Old Trafford.
On the other hand, it came as a bit of a surprise why Real Madrid want to sign the 24-year-old. They have an established center-back pair in Eder Militao and David Alaba. On top of that, they already signed Antonio Rudiger on a free from Chelsea this summer. They also have plenty of cover in the form of Nacho Fernandez and Jesus Vallejo.
As per reports, Manchester United already has an agreement in principle with Atalanta to sign Demiral in the upcoming window. If those reports are true, then he can be a smart signing for Ten Hag’s side.
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