Arsenal Miss Out As Man Utd Set To Sign £24m Star Next Week On 4-Year Deal

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, Manchester United are set to wrap-up the signing of Morgan Schneiderlin…

Manchester United are set to wrap-up the £24m signing of long-term Arsenal target Morgan Schneiderlin next week with the Southampton midfielder expected to sign a four-year contract at Old Trafford, according to the Mirror.

Schneiderlin has developed into one of the finest holding midfielders in the Premier League over the past two years and enjoyed another excellent campaign at St Mary’s last season to help Ronald Koeman’s men to a seventh-placed finish.

The French international has been strongly linked with a move this summer and despite interest from abroad, the 25-year-old was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying earlier this month that he wants to remain in England and join a top four club.

Arsenal are one of the clubs who’ve been tracking Schneiderlin in recent months and the Independent claimed just yesterday that the Gunners were in pole position to land the midfielder with bookies slashing their odds on him moving to North London to just 1/2.

However, it appears there has been a fresh twist as the Mirror are one of several news outlets who are reporting today that Arsene Wenger has had second thoughts on the deal and it’s paved the way for Manchester United to move in and secure Schneiderlin’s signature.

Arsenal fans have been crying out for a defensive midfielder to be signed in recent years and it looked as though this would be the summer they finally got their wish. But the surprise emergence of Francis Coquelin during the second half of last season appears to have convinced Wenger he no longer needs to spend big on another holding midfielder, and it looks like that reluctance is going to see them miss out on long-term target Schneiderlin.

The Mirror suggests that Louis van Gaal has given executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward the green light to make a £24m bid and the Frenchman is expected to sign a four-year contract at Old Trafford.

Schneiderlin was quoted as telling the press on Wednesday that he expects his future to be resolved by next week – when Southampton return for pre-season training- and the Mirror claim United are confident of wrapping-up the deal by then.

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

Van Gaal certainly needs to bring in another deep lying midfielder to help ease the load on Michael Carrick and I think Schneiderlin will be an excellent addition to their squad as he has plenty of Premier League experience and the quality to be a real hit at Old Trafford.

I personally think Arsenal will regret missing out on Schneiderlin as despite Coquelin’s form last season, they still need more depth and competition in that position and I’m sure Gunners fans will be praying Wenger has a change of heart.

There have been so many twists in this saga that I still wouldn’t rule out Wenger changing his mind and making a late move to hijack the deal, but at this point is seems United are set to secure their second signing of the summer having already sealed a deal for Dutch attacker Memphis Depay.