Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Athletic Club defender Dani Vivian, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, and Luke Shaw have started all three Premier League games for United this season. On the other hand, Tyler Fredricson, Harry Maguire, and Ayden Heaven commenced in the Carabao Cup against fourth-tier side Grimsby Town, where the Red Devils endured an awful defeat on penalties.
Apart from them, Lisandro Martínez and Noussair Mazraoui are the two other options United currently have for the centre-back position. Therefore, in terms of numbers, Ruben Amorim’s side are well stocked at the back.
However, Maguire’s future is currently uncertain as his existing deal will expire next summer. Moreover, Heaven and Fredicson are still very young and need time to develop their careers.
Moreover, Martínez and Shaw have struggled with injury problems in recent years; therefore, Amorim is seemingly planning to add more depth in the CB position, especially given that he likes to deploy a back-three system.
Now, Fichajes state that Man Utd are interested in Vivian after being impressed by his recent eye-catching performances in La Liga and could make a concrete approach to sign him in January or next summer.
Vivian to Man Utd
Athletic Club don’t want to part ways with their key man, but he has a £35m release clause in his current contract, and the Basque club can’t stop him from leaving if United decide to trigger it.
The 26-year-old might even be tempted to play in the Premier League should United eventually make a move. However, purchasing the defender won’t be straightforward for Amorim’s side, as Newcastle United and Aston Villa are in this race as well, and they have the financial muscle to seal the deal.
After ranking through Athletic Club’s youth system, Vivian made his first-team debut back in 2021 before establishing himself as a key player in recent times. Having displayed his qualities in La Liga, he has secured his place in the Spain national team’s squad.
He is comfortable playing out from the back but isn’t a physically dominant player. So, he might struggle to cope with the physicality of the Premier League should he join Man Utd, Aston Villa, or Newcastle next year.
