Manchester United are closing in on a £50 million-plus deal for Fiorentina winger Federico Chiesa, although they will need to convince him to make the switch.
According to a report from Corriere Fiorentino (h/t The Sun), Manchester United are close to reaching an agreement with Serie A outfit Fiorentina, for the signing of Federico Chiesa. However, the Red Devils will have to be ‘extra convincing’ to get the winger to move away from Italy.
The 22-year-old Chiesa came through the youth ranks at Fiorentina and burst through the senior team in 2016. Since then, he has been a regular for the Viola, while also establishing himself as one of the most exciting young wingers in Italy. Till date, he has featured 143 times for the club, bagging 29 goals and 20 assists.
The 17-time capped Italian international has had another productive campaign in 2019/20, which has seen him rack up seven goals and five assists from thirty games across all competitions. Given the promise that he has shown and his age, Chiesa has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United.
It is no secret that Manchester United are in the market for a new right-sided winger, which is a position that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should look to address, given the club’s lack of options. While Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho is United’s top target, the Red Devils are keeping their options open, with Chiesa emerging as a cheaper alternative.
In fact, the report goes so far as saying that the Mancunian outfit are already close to reaching an agreement with Fiorentina for the signing of the 22-year-old. While the Serie A side value Chiesa at £60 million, United have put forth an offer of in excess of £50 million.
However, the 20-time English champions will now face a challenge to convince him to make the switch to England, as it is claimed that Chiesa and his dad have “always made it clear” they are not looking at a transfer abroad.
In addition, Manchester United will also have to battle interest in the Italian international from fellow Premier League outfit Newcastle United, according to an alternative report from The Sun.
Newcastle are subject of a £300 million takeover bid from a consortium backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Should the controversial takeover go through, the Tyneside outfit will have the cash to splash in the transfer market and Chiesa has emerged as one of their top targets.
However, any move for the Italian international will hinge on the change of ownership going through smoothly. Again, they too will face the challenge of convincing Chiesa to leave Italy, something that he is believed to be reluctant to do.
Chiesa, without a doubt, is a talented young player with a bright future ahead of him. It, however, remains to be seen if he does make the switch to England and if so, whether he will be joining Manchester United or Newcastle.
