Manchester United transfer news latest: Ruben Amorim suffers blow after European giants 'bid' for defender target

Manchester United are reportedly braced for Pervis Estupinan to join AC Milan after the Serie A side entered into talks with Brighton & Hove Albion for the left-back.

The summer transfer window appears to be finally ramping up for the Red Devils, with the club finally agreeing a deal to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.

United may ultimately have to pay a fee of more than £70m for the Bees attacker, and his hefty price could force the club to look for cheaper additions in the market in other positions.

Brighton left-back Estupinan has been reported to be a target of boss Ruben Amorim, and with two years left on his deal and the player rumoured to be keen on a move away, he could represent a value-for-money signing.

However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that AC Milan are in active talks with Brighton for the defender after having an initial bid rejected, and he adds that the European giants hope to complete the deal for less than £17.5m.

Why Estupinan's transfer does not make sense for Manchester United

While United fans have been disappointed with the speed at which the club have negotiated with Brentford for Mbeumo, missing out on Estupinan should not be seen negatively.

Patrick Dorgu was signed from Lecce in the January transfer window, and he was brought in to battle Luke Shaw for a place as the team's left wing-back.

Given the defender is just 20 years old, he will likely need consistent playing time in order to develop into the player that his potential promises, and Estupinan's arrival would almost certainly block his pathway.

It is important to highlight that the Brighton defender has suffered four muscle injuries and an ankle injury in the last two seasons, with the 27-year-old missing 54 games for club and country in that period.

United would arguably be better off looking for midfield reinforcements considering stars such as Casemiro have struggled as they have aged, while Manuel Ugarte has found it difficult to settle into life at Old Trafford.

Alternatively, Amorim could look to sign a central striker to play in front of Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo, though it is unclear at this stage who the Red Devils would target after missing out on the likes of Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres.

Written by
Lewis Nolan