Manchester United are ready to splash £40 million on Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan, according to reports from Italy.
Gazzetta dello Sport have claimed the English club are ready to spend big on the Belgian after another highly successful season with Roma in the Italian capital. Nainggolan was instrumental in Roma’s second place finish in Serie A, runners-up to Juventus, and would be a major loss for the club after selling Mohamed Salah to Liverpool already this summer.
Nainggolan has been with Roma for the last three and a half season after joining the club from Cagliari. Chelsea have also been reportedly interested in the 29-year-old, but the midfielder already rejected a chance to move to the west London club a summer ago.
Nainggolan is a dynamic midfielder that would instantly upgrade Jose Mourinho’s starting XI. His presence and tackling ability in the centre of the park would free up Paul Pogba, allowing the Frenchman to focus more on attacking rather than defending. The box-to-box Nainggolan is also well-known for his ability to score long range efforts, and he tallied a career high 11 goals for the Giallorossi this past season.
Mourinho interested in the brilliant Radja Nainggolan. GdS saying €40-45m + €7.5m a season wage could be deciding factor from United.
— Matteo Bonetti (@TheCalcioGuy) June 27, 2017
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic as well. However, reports indicate he is Mourinho’s third choice midfielder transfer option this summer, and the manager would prefer Nainggolan.
If Roma allow Nainggolan to leave, the team will enter a re-building phase few would have expected when the club finished second to Juventus in May. The team have already brought in new manager Eusebio di Francesco and sporting director Monchi as they attempt to make a challenge to Juventus next term.