Manchester United agree deal for Valenciennes defender Dayot Upamecano

Manchester United have reportedly agreed a deal with French club Valenciennes for the transfer of young defender Dayot Upamecano.

According to Tutto Mercato Web, the 16-year-old central defender will move to Old Trafford in the summer after they wrapped up a deal following discussions with the French club regarding compensation to be paid for the player.

Louis van Gaal has made strengthening his defence a priority this summer, but Upamecano will not serve that purpose of the first team, and will go straight into the developmental squad, which has also been on the radar of the Dutch manager, as the Red Devils have actively strengthened their youth set up since he took over as manager last summer.

The French U16 and U17 international has been impressive for his country and apart from United, the player has also attracted interest from fellow Premier League clubs Arsenal and Manchester City, with the latter reportedly submitting a bid for the player earlier in the month, according to the Daily Mail.

However, the 20-times English champions seem to have won the race for the defender, who has been pegged as a future French international. United's initial deal stalled due to disagreements with the compensation payment for the Ligue 2 club. It is believed that the French outfit wants around £700,000 to part with Upamecano.

Meanwhile, United assistant manager Ryan Giggs has revealed what it takes to be a coach, after being a player at the top level for over a decade.

"The biggest thing you learn going from player to coach is not to think like a player any more, but to think like a coach. As a player you're pretty selfish – you want to do well and you know what you're capable of doing and how to achieve it," Giggs told United's official site.

"I wanted to be the best as a player and I want to be the best as a coach. That means working hard and doing everything you can to achieve that, but also enjoying the challenge."

"You need to get the best out of 25, maybe 30, different individuals. So you need to find what makes them tick and how you're going to get the best out of them," the Welshman added.