INEOS 'confident' of reaching 'agreement' to beat Chelsea; 'step up interest' in signing £43m striker

According to reports, Manchester United are ‘pushing’ to fend off competition from Chelsea and others to retain JJ Gabriel.

Unsurprisingly, Man Utd have been very active in this summer’s transfer market to strengthen their squad ahead of their Champions League return.

The Red Devils have bolstered their midfield with the arrivals of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, while they remain in the market for a third new midfielder, left-back, winger and/or striker.

Michael Carrick‘s side have also been making an effort to sign and keep up-and-coming talents, with the Premier League giants facing a fight to keep JJ Gabriel.

The 15-year-old is regarded as one of the best young players at Man Utd, and he has scored 29 goals in 32 appearances for their U18 side.

READ: Man Utd expected to agree deal to sign ‘fantastic young player’ ahead of Arsenal

The striker’s remarkable performances at youth level have attracted interest from elsewhere, with a report from our colleagues at TEAMtalk revealing Chelsea are ahead of several Premier League and European giants as his ‘strongest suitor’ other than Man Utd.

However, the Red Devils are ‘pushing for an agreement’ over a new contract, and they are now ‘confident’ of getting a deal done.

The report claims:

‘Once Gabriel becomes eligible to sign scholarship terms in October, the attention around his future is expected to intensify, and United want to ensure they have done everything possible to protect one of the most coveted young players in world football.

‘For now, the message from United remains one of confidence – but behind the scenes, the club are working hard to make sure Gabriel’s extraordinary rise continues at Old Trafford.’

READ MORE: Myles Lewis-Skelly and seven other potential ‘pure profit’ sales for Premier League clubs

Man Utd ‘step up interest’ in signing £43m striker

As mentioned, Man Utd could yet sign a new striker this summer, and a report from Caught Offside claims they have ‘stepped up their interest’ in signing Club Brugge forward Nicolo Tresoldi.

It is said that he is ‘firmly on the radar of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Barcelona’, and his transfer is to ‘cost around 50 million euros’ (£43m).

Barcelona are reportedly the ‘favourites’ to sign Tresoldi as they ‘accelerate’ the move after losing Robert Lewandowski.

But the Spanish giants may struggle to pay the necessary fee to sign him, so a move to the Premier League remains a possibility.

The report explains:

‘Numerous sources in the industry have confirmed to me that the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd, and Spurs are increasingly turning to Tresoldi as a good option up front this summer.

‘We’ve seen some ridiculously inflated fees for signings in this window, and Tresoldi appeals as his asking price would most likely be in the region of €45-50m.’

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