Man Utd Close-In On €25m Deal For Liverpool Target

As the opening of the summer transfer window approaches, managers are working hard identifying targets and lining-up potential deals so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today, Man Utd close-in on Firmino….

Manchester United are closing-in on a €25m deal for Liverpool target Roberto Firmino with Hoffenheim ready to sell the Brazilian playmaker this summer, according to reports.

Firmino has been in superb form in the Bundesliga since moving to Hoffenheim in 2010 with his breakthrough year coming last season when he scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 37 appearances.

The Brazilian international has continued to impress this campaign and scored his 9th goal of the season with a fine strike against Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup on Tuesday night, while he’s also chipped in with a further 10 assists.

His potential has led to interest from the Premier League with speculation suggesting that Liverpool and Manchester United have been keeping a close eye on his progress this season.

However, more recent reports have claimed that United are now firmly in pole position to sign the 23-year-old attacker with Louis van Gaal supposedly making him a key target this summer.

The Telegraph are now reporting that United scouts were in attendance in midweek to see Firmino score against Dortmund and the club are willing to pay €25m (£18.6m) to land the South American at the end of the season.

That figure should be enough to tempt Hoffenheim into a sale and the newspaper suggests the German club are ready to cash-in as they’ve already lined-up Goias forward Erik as a potential replacement.

READ MORE –> Liverpool transfer news | Man Utd transfer news

We’ll have to wait and see how much truth there is behind all these reports but while there’s still time for Liverpool to try and hijack the move, as it stands it looks like United are closing in on a deal for one of Brazil’s most exciting young playmakers.

If Firmino does end up making a switch to Old Trafford he’d bring some much-needed creativity in the final third. The player is predominantly played as an attacking midfielder but he’s also capable of playing on the wing or even up front so he’d give van Gaal plenty of options in attack.