Manchester United Face German Competition for £30m Midfielder

Bayern Munich will rival Manchester United for the signature of Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, reports suggest.

The Premier League champions are thought to be readying a bid in the region of £30m for the 21-year-old ahead of the January transfer window, but the midfielder's reluctance to leave and Atletico's lofty position at the top of La Liga ensures any move is uncertain.

But German newspaper AZ report that United may face another stumbling block in the form of interest from the Bundesliga giants. Pep Guardiola is understood to be keen on adding a third Spaniard to his squad alongside Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez and is willing to part ways with Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri in a cash plus player deal to get his man.

David Moyes is thought to see Koke as United's priority transfer target ahead of the January window, but should the possibility of a move to the Champions League holders arise the Scot may have to consider other options.

While insisting the club are keen to add to their numbers, Moyes is aware that some targets will not be available in January, a scenario which is likely to arise in the case of Koke.

"We will look (at targets)," Moyes said earlier this week. "But I wouldn't turn around and say that I'm massively sure that we will get them.

"Because a lot of the players we would be interested in wouldn't be available for us in that month of January. But we'll certainly be looking."

The Spaniard's stock in European football has risen exponentially this season as Atletico have set about breaking La Liga's duopoly. Sumptuous performances for Diego Simeone's outfit were rewarded with a call up to Vicente Del Bosque's senior Spain side and he is more than likely to have a place in the squad for next summer's World Cup.