Lazio forward Felipe Anderson has confirmed that Manchester United made an offer for him last summer but it was rejected by the club.
Anderson told Dassler Marques of UOL.com (via Sam Morshead of MailOnline):
Whenever we’re approaching the transfer market there’s a lot of talk about my future. For two years my name has been linked with several European clubs. I continue to work and think only of Lazio, otherwise I just risk being distracted.
My goal is to do well with Lazio and the Brazil Olympic team, I’m not thinking about anything else. I want to finish the season well, and I want to show my potential so I can be called up.
Manchester United? An offer came in last year, Lazio have confirmed that’s the case too. They preferred to keep me, though, to have a great season.
Unfortunately we were unable to repeat our achievements of last year, but we’re continuing to work hard, we’ll see what the future holds.
The Red Devils are frequently linked with a move for Anderson, but it seems there hasn’t been enough development over the matter between the two clubs since United’s last bid.
One of the major problems for United this season has been their lack of creativity in the final third. Apart from Anthony Martial, very few have stepped up and delivered on a consistent basis. United will therefore be looking to sign at least one world class, or a highly rated attacking midfielder in the summer, and may make a move for Anderson again.
Anderson has scored eight goals and five assists in 40 appearances this season, which is less impressive compared to his outstanding 2014/15 campaign, where he scored 11 goals and managed 10 assists to his name.
The Brazilian is a highly talented player, and capable of producing moments of genius, but he lacks consistency in his game. Although, at 22, there is a plenty of room for improvement for him, but he has that potential to become a terrific player in the future.
Latest on Jose Mourinho
Louis van Gaal’s absence from Manchester United’s promotional video for their pre-season tour to China has given rise to intense speculation that the Red Devils are indeed exploring the options of replacing him.
Oliver Kay writes for The Times:
Van Gaal, who has rallied against such claims for the past three months, must try to cling to a more innocent explanation, albeit a humiliating one: that, short of manning the box office in Beijing, their manager, synonymous with stagnation at Old Trafford, is not going to sell many tickets.
Obviously, it would be only a matter of time before Jose Mourinho gets linked again. According to the Sun, Manchester United are willing to offer Jose Mourinho, three times Premier League winner with Chelsea, a staggering £60m, (he would become the most expensive manager in the club’s history should that happen) and want the Portuguese to revive the fortune at Old Trafford.
Murrilo to Manchester United?
The Red Devils are planning to sign Inter Milan defender Jeison Murillo in the summer, according to reports from Spain. Murrilo has been one of the consistent performers for Inter this season, and he is very highly rated by scouts all over Europe.
The Colombian international is reportedly valued at £30m by Inter.
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