Real Madrid rejection could aid Manchester United complete £130m double deal

Manchester United are reportedly increasingly confident of landing two of their priority targets - Pau Torres and Jadon Sancho - for a combined fee of £130 million this summer. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made signing a right sided winger and a central defender his main goals during the ongoing transfer window.

The Norwegian manager wants a long-term partner for skipper Harry Maguire in central defence after failing to be convinced by Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly. Raphael Varane was Solskjaer's first choice, but United's first bid of £50 million was rejected, with Real Madrid demanding £80 million.

Torres was always on United's radar after his impressive performances for Villarreal last season. The Red Devils even got to see his talents first hand when they lost to the Spanish club in the final of the Europa League in May.

The left-footed Spain international is thought to be the ideal partner for Maguire. Torres has a €60 million (£51.3m) release clause in his contract, but according to the Manchester Evening News, United are hoping to bring down the price by offering a player-plus-cash deal. The report claims that the Red Devils have made progress in their pursuit of the defender.

While United continue to pursue Torres to fill the void in central defence, the 20-time English champions are not giving up on making Sancho their marquee signing of the summer. They continue to hold talks with Borussia Dortmund, who are open to selling the England international four years after stealing him from Manchester City.

Sancho has already agreed personal terms with United, but the two clubs are yet to agree over the fee for his transfer. The Manchester-based club had an opening bid of £67 million rejected by the German outfit and have now returned with a fresh offer in the region of £75 million.

The new bid is said to be closer to Dortmund's valuation, with United offering a higher upfront fee with minimal add-ons. The Bundesliga club have yet to respond to the new offer as they value Sancho closer to the £80 million mark.

The Europa League finalists are not willing to give up and are increasingly confident that they can reach an agreement with Dortmund in the coming weeks. A bid for Torres is likely to follow their latest move for Sancho with Solskjaer keen to underline his seriousness about challenging for the Premier League title next season by completing the double deal.