Manchester United transfer news: Galatasaray sporting director confirms they are close to signing Marouane Fellaini

Galatasaray sporting director Cenk Ergun has confirmed that they are close to concluding a deal with Manchester United for the transfer of Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian has only a year left in his current contract after arriving at the club in 2013 and is unlikely to be handed an extension,

The Belgian has been a divisive figure at Old Trafford over the years and has often been made a scapegoat for the team's failures. However, notwithstanding the criticism, he has played an important role under Jose Mourinho and appeared 47 times across all competitions during the Portuguese's maiden campaign in charge. He scored four goals during that period, including a vital header against Celta Vigo that helped secure United's passage through to the Europa League final in Stockholm.

Fellaini had the option of a one-year extension over his four-year deal and the club confirmed in January that they had triggered the clause to pick up that extra year, meaning he is currently under contract until the summer of 2018. However, Ergun's comments suggest that his tenure at Old Trafford now is only a matter of time, with the 29-year-old likely to end up in Turkey before the end of the summer.

"Fellaini will leave Manchester United and he is now in our radar," Ergun was quoted as saying by Ajansspor, reports ESPN. "There will be surprises, we are in talks with Fellaini. We have made an approach, we are close and if we get Fellaini we will end our pursuit of [Villarreal's Alfred] N'Diaye. We need a player like Fellaini who can move around in midfield."

The Red Devils are still in the market to complete at least two more signings, having already confirmed the transfer of Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku. They have been handed a massive blow in the pursuit of Ivan Perisic, with Inter Milan categorically ruling him out of the market. But they have had some joy following comments by Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino's comments on Eric Dier, who is ostensibly available for transfer.