Manchester United are planning a move for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Jack Hinshelwood in the coming days, according to The Sun.
The Red Devils have focused mainly on strengthening their midfield this summer with the signings of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
United have not ruled out a third midfield signing, and the club’s hierarchy may prefer a young Premier League player with plenty of potential.
The Sun report that the Red Devils have held a long-standing interest in Hinshelwood and have already made enquiries about his availability.
Arsenal are leading the race to sign the 21-year-old, who can also operate in both full-back positions, but United are planning their own move in the coming days and are ready to challenge the Gunners.
Hinshelwood has less than three years remaining on his Brighton contract. It is claimed that a deal could be finalised for a package between £43-51 million this summer.
Brighton likely to demand higher fee for Hinshelwood
Hinshelwood has been a quality performer for the Seagulls over the past year. He started off as a right-back before moving into a defensive midfield position.
In the back end of last season, manager Fabian Hurzeler played him as an attacking midfielder. He found success and scored against Chelsea, Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final five games of the Premier League campaign.
United could prefer a similar versatile midfielder. Hinshelwood could provide good cover in the number six position and could also feature as a left-back if Luke Shaw is out of action or needs to be rested. Patrick Dorgu is currently viewed as a left winger.
However, we simply don’t see a deal happening. Brighton are a difficult club to negotiate with. The South Coast outfit generally place premium price tags on their players and are unlikely to part ways with their promising young graduate for £43-51m.
With the inflated prices during the ongoing transfer window, the Seagulls could easily hold out for £65-70m for Hinshelwood. United may want another midfield signing this summer, and they are unlikely to make a huge outlay for a back-up solution.
They recently bowed out of the race for Bournemouth’s Alex Scott for the same reason. The club have no plans to spend more than £70m on the Cherries ace and value him at just £40m due to his lack of Champions League and international experience.
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