Nicolas Otamendi’s move from Valencia to Manchester United is not close to being completed, contrary to claims from yesterday by TV director-cum-producer Nacho Cotino that the Argentine defender is almost on his way to Old Trafford.
According to ESPN FC, the Red Devils are not in pursuit of the centre-back and reports of a deal on the verge of completion are wide off the mark.
The 27-year-old, who played a key part in Valencia’s fourth placed finish in La Liga last season to secure Los Che’s passage into the playoff round of this season’s Champions League, has been linked all summer with a move to Manchester United.
The Red Devils have strengthened significantly this summer, bringing in five new faces to their squad: Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Sergio Romero.
But manager Louis van Gaal is yet to address his team’s issues at the heart of the defence. Last weekend’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League saw Van Gaal deploy Daley Blind as a makeshift centre-back partner for Chris Smalling.
The Old Trafford outfit have had previous advances rebuffed for Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos which further asserts the fact Manchester United are on the look out for a defensive reinforcement, and Otamendi certainly fits their needs.
However, there is still some way for the deal to be concluded between Valencia and Manchester United, and should Van Gaal be unable to bring in his favoured targets, Otamendi could be a Red Devil come the end of the summer transfer window.
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