Fabrizio Romano: Manchester United target to join a rival club

Manchester United target Sergio Reguilon has agreed to join their Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

This has been confirmed by reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

According to Romano, Reguilon is set to join the London club from Real Madrid on a five-year deal.  

Romano also dished out most of the details entailed in the deal.

He reports that Tottenham are going to pay a fee of €30m to Real. The Tottenham board also accepted both the clauses which caused much grief to Manchester United’s negotiating party.

Spurs have signed Reguilon on a contract that stipulates both the ‘buy-back’ and ‘pre-emption clause’. The buy-back clause is set at a fee around €40-45m and the preemption clause lets Madrid have the first refusal on Reguilon if Tottenham decides to sell him in the future.

Personal terms have also been agreed between the two sides. The only demand Reguilon had which United did not agree with was the buy-back clause. Reguilon does not want to rule out an opportunity to play for Madrid if a favourable situation presents itself. 

Differing from Tottenham on this issue, United had famously rejected both of Real Madrid’s demands for Reguilon. This may have cost them this transfer. United also refused to pay the full fee of €30m for the left-back instead of offering a package deal of €20m with the rest of €10m as add-ons. 

Manchester United’s transfer window has gone from bad to worse. Reguilon joining Spurs was only one of the bullets in United’s slowly breaking armour. 

United’s deal for their prime target Jadon Sancho is dying, Jack Grealish’s decision to sign a new contract at Aston Villa instead of seeking greener pastures at Old Trafford have also stung the club badly.

OGS’s priority of a stronger defence and back-up is still a dream for now, with the market going to close in less than a month. 

United’s rivals have all strengthened their squad to some degree. The Real Devils are going to have to wise-up in the time which remains or suffer the consequences of sitting idly by.