ALMOST DONE – £26m Manchester United Target Set To Sign

Manchester United appear to have been rocked once more regarding transfers, with Serie A outfit AC Milan set to sign one of their targets ahead of the Premier League club.

The Express is claiming [citing Calciomercato] that the Italian giants are willing to spend £22m on Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Axel Witsel, thereby beating Manchester United to the signature of the Belgium international.

Witsel, once of Benfica, has a contract at the Russian club which is set to expire by 2017, and AC Milan –  buoyed by an investment of £48 per cent pumped into the club by stakeholder Bee Taechaubol – are ready to pounce and blow the Red Devils out of the water. AC Milan finished 10th in the Serie A last season under the tutelage of former player Fillipo Inzaghi, and subsequently missed out on European competition for this season. But Witsel is not fazed by the fact that he would not be playing in Europe this season, as he has also declared he wants to move to Italy.

“I don’t have any intentions of renewing my contract with Zenit because I want to have an experience in Italy,” Corriere dello Sport quote Witsel as saying to his representatives.

Although Juventus who are also in Italy are known to be one of Witsel’s suitors, but it is understood San Siro is the Belgian’s likely destination.

The 26-year old Belgian has, as per the report, agreed personal terms with the San Siro outfit but Zenit are holding out for €35m [£26m]. Witsel helped his side win their fourth league title last term and his first with the club, creating 19 chances in the process.

Manchester United have enough players who can play in the central midfield roles and their interest in Witsel was even a surprise from the outset. With Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Carrick, Morgan Schneiderlin, Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera all in the ranks of Louis van Gaal at the club, signing Witsel would have been a “not so well-thought coup” for the Red Devils.