Manchester United Told to Pay £79m to Take Kevin Strootman from AS Roma

Manchester United have been encouraged in their pursuit of AS Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman by manager Rudi Garcia.

The Serie A club's manager has told Louis van Gaal that the Red Devils will have to stump up at least £79m ($134.1m, €99.9m) for Roma to think about letting Strootman leave.

The 24-year-old midfielder has been on United's radar for a while now, but interest had cooled after he sustained a cruciate ligament injury in March. Van Gaal is a keen admirer of his compatriot and has admitted interest in bringing the player to OId Trafford during the summer transfer window, but is awaiting news on his recovery process before making a concrete bid.

Garcia has made it clear that only an astronomical bid from United will persuade Roma to consider selling their prized asset.

"What can I say about the rumours (about Strootman joining United)..." Garcia said, as quoted on Sky Sports.

"Maybe after a three-digit offer, then we will sit down and think about it."

The manager has also revealed that the player who has been injured for the past five months is progressing well.

"Kevin is following a normal recovery programme. He is fine. He will start running soon," the Roma boss added.

The Daily Mail reports that the former Lille boss is unwilling to sell the midfielder, who arrived from PSV last summer, and is confident that Strootman will remain a Roma player for another year.

"Strootman is a Roma player. He will be a Roma player this year. There is no doubt about that," Garcia explained

"Only he can say whether he wants to stay but it was never an issue for him to go to another club. There is no question of it."

United have been linked to various midfielders throughout the summer transfer window, with Arturo Vidal being the most frequently mentioned name. It was rumoured that a club-record bid was made to land the Juventus midfielder.