Manchester United move for Juventus teammate after missing De Ligt

According to The Sun Manchester United have made an approach to Juventus for centre-back Merih Demiral.

The 21-year-old, who is already a full Turkish international, only joined the Old Lady from Sassuolo a matter of weeks ago but United hope that the acquisition of De Ligt could convince the Serie A champions to cash in on the youngster.

Indeed, Juve would reportedly hold out for double the £16m that they spent to sign Demiral on a five-year-deal in order to force their hand.

 
That would still make Demiral a considerably cheaper alternative to United target Harry Maguire, whom the club are no closer to agreeing a fee for given Leicester’s lofty demands.

The Turkish defender only arrived at Sassuolo in January from Alanyaspor but made an instant impression, scoring twice in 14 league appearances. He also won 73 per cent of his aerial duels - 3.9 per 90 minutes - and completed 87 per cent of his passes.