Reports from France suggest that Manchester United are on the verge of securing their first signing of the summer transfer window. The Red Devils are said to be in the market for a new centre-back to partner with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane next season. According to L’Equipe, United are close to signing Monaco’s Axel Disasi, who has previously been linked with Chelsea and Bayern Munich. The move is said to have come out of nowhere, with United reportedly having “no issue” in matching Monaco’s asking price of around £44million.
Disasi, who has made 129 appearances for Monaco playing both centrally and at right-back, has been capped three times by France and was part of their World Cup squad which lost to Argentina in the final in December. The 25-year-old’s performances in Ligue 1 have caught the attention of United manager Erik ten Hag, who is determined to bolster his defensive options following Harry Maguire’s expected departure from the club.
Maguire, who joined United from Leicester for a record defensive fee of £85m in 2019, has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham after struggling with form this season. United have also been linked with Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae, who would cost them £43m in a release clause. While centre-back Victor Lindelof has impressed ten Hag after stepping into the team towards the end of the season, the club is still open to offers for the Swedish international. Eric Bailly, who spent this season on loan at Marseille, is set to leave United in a permanent deal.
Meanwhile, Disasi is said to have his heart set on a move to the Premier League, with United being his first choice. However, L’Equipe reports that although the deal for Disasi is “close”, the two clubs have not yet commenced final negotiations.