Manchester United is preparing to make a bid for AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer in exchange for Donny Van de Beek.
So far, the Dutch midfielder has failed to live up to the fanfare that surrounded his signing from Ajax in 2020. He was loaned out to Everton for the second half of the 21/22 season, but he did not play regularly.
Van de Beek has now returned to United and has played in the team’s first two preseason games under new manager Erik ten Hag. However, it appears that his time at Old Trafford is coming to an end.
Van van Beek has been involved in a prospective swap trade for Milan’s Algerian midfielder Bennacer, according to Italian news outlet Calcio Mercato.
Bennacer was a major element of Milan’s Serie A-winning team, so any deal to pull him away from Italy will not be cheap.
According to Calcio Mercato, the San Siro club valued Bennacer at around €45 million. United is seeking to cut the asking price by bringing Van de Beek into the deal.
During his time with Milan, Bennacer, 24, has been classified as a deep-lying playmaker, which are attributes that United urgently needs.
If United fails to complete a deal for Barcelona’s Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, the Algerian may be the ideal replacement.
United and Barcelona have agreed to a £63.6 million initial transfer price, with a further £8.5 million in performance-related add-ons.
Despite the two clubs’ agreement, De Jong has shown no symptoms of wanting to leave the Catalan club. The 25-year-old is said to be content in Barcelona after describing his move to Camp Nou as a “dream” move.
Ten Hag is said to be keen for De Jong to join him at Old Trafford, but if the player is unwilling to transfer, Ten Hag will have to consider other options.
United has finalized the acquisitions of left defender Tyrell Malacia, midfielder Christian Eriksen, and center-back Lisandro Martinez thus far.
The club is now in Australia, preparing for their next preseason match against fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
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