Manchester United appear to have moved on from Tottenham’s Eric Dier.
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United are turning their attention back to Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan having been left frustrated in their pursuit of Tottenham ace Eric Dier.
United have secured two big signings this summer by landing defender Victor Lindelof and striker Romelu Lukaku, but manager Jose Mourinho is still keen to bring in two more additions in holding midfield and out wide.
Roma’s Radja Nainggolan in action
A host of players have been linked to fill the midfield role, given that United need to find a successor to veteran Michael Carrick, who has just been named as captain following Wayne Rooney’s exit.
Now, the Daily Mail report that Tottenham’s refusal to sell Eric Dier – and the apparent collapse of a deal for Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic – means that United have switched their attention to Roma’s Radja Nainggolan.
Nainggolan, 29, has starred for Roma since joining from Cagliari in 2014, and enjoyed a particularly impressive campaign last season, notching 14 goals and seven assists for the Italian side.
A Belgian international team-mate of Marouane Fellaini and new signing Lukaku, Nainggolan is now believed to be back on United’s radar, with a possible fee of around £40million involved.
Tottenham’s Eric Dier in action with Crystal Palace’s James McArthur
The change in targets comes after Tottenham refused to sell England international Eric Dier, with notoriously stubborn chairman Daniel Levy seemingly forcing United to give up their pursuit of the former Sporting Lisbon ace.
Nainggolan is an interesting alternative, as he isn’t quite as defensively-minded as Dier or Matic, but does possess an outstanding engine and real quality on the ball, meaning he could form a tireless tandem with Ander Herrera, allowing Paul Pogba to go forward.
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