Man Utd ready to discuss deal for £34m Serie A star with 91% pass accuracy - report
Manchester United are interested in signing Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka this summer, according to TuttomercatoWeb (TMW).
The 30-year-old has been a key player for the Naples outfit. He has been ever-present in the defensive midfield role over the past few seasons.
Despite this, his future has been put into question. Lobotka will turn 31 in November, and TMW claim that Napoli could make the most of his valuation.
Barcelona have already shown their interest in the midfielder while United have also expressed their desire to ‘sit down and talk’ about the situation.
Napoli value the Slovakian star at £34 million, but the figure could be negotiable this summer.
Man Utd’s interest in Lobotka could be agent-driven
Lobotka had a good 2023/24 campaign for Napoli despite their lowly 10th-place finish in Serie A.
He has continued his rich vein of form this term. The Slovakian has completed 91 percent of his passes in the Italian top flight with 5.4 recoveries and two clearances per game.
The midfielder has also won 61 percent of his duels and has lost possession only 6.3 times per outing.
Lobotka would be an upgrade on Casemiro at United. The Brazilian has a passing accuracy of 80 percent in the league this term, losing possession on 9.3 occasions on average.
Despite the glowing statistics, United may not make an approach for Lobotka. He will turn 31 in the first half of next season, and £34m represents a huge outlay at his age.
Lobotka may struggle to adapt to the higher intensity of the Premier League. His weakness in the air could be a drawback too. We don’t see the club making an offer.
The Red Devils may prefer to sign a new midfielder entering the prime of his career at 25. Atalanta’s Ederson could be their main midfield target for the next transfer window.
In our view, Lobotka’s agents could be behind the recent speculation. They are probably using it to urge Napoli to extend the midfielder’s contract beyond June 2027.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Article written by Sri Aswin .