Manchester United news: €60m signing approved with replacement available

Manchester United have quickly moved on from the disappointment of missing out on Adrien Rabiot. The Red Devils are close to completing a deal for Real Madrid stalwart Casemiro after Carlo Ancelotti approved the club's decision to consider the offer.

Erik ten Hag has been desperately seeking a deep lying midfielder all summer. The Dutch coach had made Frenkie de Jong his top priority, but was unable to convince the FC Barcelona midfielder to leave the Camp Nou for Old Trafford.

The 20-time English champions identified Rabiot as a potential alternative, and had agreed an €18 million fee with Juventus. The Frenchman's wage demands, however, were considered unrealistic, which saw United pull the plug on the deal.

The Premier League big guns moved quickly when they became aware of Casemiro's availability, and are now close to completing a deal. According to The Athletic, United have submitted an offer worth an initial €60 million with a further €10 million in add-ons for the five-time Champions League winner.

The Brazil international has agreed a four-year contract with United with an option to extend it by a further year. Casemiro's deal will see him become one of the English club's top earners, with the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo. The terms are expected to be along the lines of David de Gea's £350,000-a-week contract.

As per Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the English top-flight club want to complete the transfer before the weekend. While no agreement has been reached, both United and the player are confident there will be a positive outcome in the coming days.

"Manchester United will send official bid for Casemiro tonight in order to close the deal on Friday. €60m fee, €10m add-ons - so Real Madrid are expected to accept in the next hours," Romano wrote.

The 30-year-old lost his starting place to summer arrival Aurélien Tchouaméni for Real's opening game of the 2022-23 campaign against Almeria. Ancelotti is well stocked in midfield, with Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde also at his disposal.

Casemiro has been a key part of the Spanish giants' midfield since 2015, forming a strong partnership with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. The Brazilian not only won five Champions League titles alongside his two midfield partners, but also claimed 10 other trophies.