Manchester United are set to make a bid for Valencia centre half Nicolas Otamendi, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
Sport reckon United’s offer will be 49m Euros – £34.7m on the current exchange rate – and, interestingly, 1m Euros below the the players release clause.
Their report says that Louis van Gaal has accepted that he will not sign Sergio Ramos even though there are continued suggestions that the player is not quite content with the offer Real have made.
So, our view? Would Manchester United make an offer of £700,000 below the player’s release clause?
It seems like a nonsense offer in that respect, but the truth is that the Spanish regulations with regards release clauses have further complications with regards tax. Having already found that out with the process of signing Ander Herrera last year, it could actually turn out to be a smart move, an offer close enough to the release to save both clubs further complications.
However, that is just one aspect of the transfer to consider. The other is, where would he play? Otamendi is right footed and so the natural assumption would be that he would replace Chris Smalling – however, Smalling has done enough over the last six months to warrant maintaining his position if the player coming in isn’t a significant upgrade on him. Ramos would represent that, but Otamendi? The Valencia and Argentina defender is certainly the better (if we’re speaking in such arbitrary terms) but Smalling knows the Premier League and £35m might appear to be too much of a gamble.
We’ll wait and see on this one. For now, we’d still label it under doubtful.
