Man United join chase for Brazil U17 star, Madrid may have to sell Bale

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MANCHESTER UNITED JOIN RACE FOR BRAZIL YOUNGSTER

Brazil U17 striker Lincoln, who impressed at the recent FIFA U17 World Cup in India, is on the radar of Manchester United, according to Calcio Mercato. Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus have all been linked with the young striker, and now United have joined the chase.

RATING: 4/10

SPORT360 VERDICT:

It’s a fairly common story – a South American youngster makes headlines and suddenly all of Europe’s leading clubs seem poised to swoop in. But United haven’t signed a young player directly from the continent in quite a while now, and it’s a transfer market largely dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona. United also aren’t short in the young, talented striker department, so this could be a battle the club won’t mind losing if push comes to shove for the Flamengo striker who’s rated at €30million.

DORTMUND THE LATEST SUITOR FOR CAN

With Emre Can’s Liverpool contract set to expire at the end of the season, clubs are now lining up to secure his signature, and Borussia Dortmund are the latest to be linked with the 23-year-old. Bild is reporting that the German club have joined the battle with Manchester City, Juventus, and Liverpool themselves in order to land Can’s signature.

RATING: 6/10

SPORT360 VERDICT: 

Can a young German midfielder go through a transfer saga without being linked to Dortmund? The Bundesliga outfit has been stockpiling young talent, German or otherwise, for quite some time now, so it’s no surprise that they’d be interested in Can.

However, unlike with most other young players Dortmund sign, there’s no clear sign that a move to the club would be beneficial to Can’s development. There are already plenty of midfielders at the club, and in any case Can has already done what most young players who move to Dortmund want to do: prove themselves on a big stage and catch the eye of some even bigger clubs. Man City and Juventus are more likely destinations for Can at this point, although that doesn’t mean Dortmund’s interest isn’t real.

REAL MADRID WORRYING ABOUT BALE PRICE DROP

Gareth Bale‘s injury struggles since his move to Real Madrid have been well-documented and there has been plenty of chatter lately that the most recent setback could finally signal the end of his time at the Santiago Bernabeu. AS says Madrid have lost patience with Bale’s fitness issues and are ready to sell him next summer. However, the concern now is that his value has dropped – Manchester United were reportedly offering €120million this summer, but Madrid are worried that they won’t get offers above €80million next time around.

RATING: 8/10

SPORT360 VERDICT: 

At this point, Bale’s only hope of salvaging his Madrid career is to get fit quickly and then be brilliant for the rest of the season. Otherwise, he’s going to have a hard time convincing the Los Blancos hierarchy that they need him, with Isco and Marco Asensio already having usurped the Welshman over the last year.

The club’s concerns over his value are legitimate. Bale hasn’t played enough in recent times to justify the sort of money United were supposedly offering, and that sort of price tag could definitely cause potential suitors to walk away. Madrid have to seriously consider taking a loss on a player for whom they once broke the world transfer record.