Old Trafford side target Sevilla forward.
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal will reportedly be handed a £100m transfer war-chest as he seeks to strengthen his squad ahead of a push for the Premier League title next season.
The Daily Mail claim that Sevilla act Carlos Bacca is now on the Old Trafford side’s transfer radar, as Van Gaal looks to make the most of that hefty budget.
Bacca would cost around £25m, say The Mail.
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Van Gaal’s side were outscored by Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal last season. and the Dutch boss has subsequently sent back loaned-in forward Radamel Falcao to AS Monaco, perhaps leaving space for a striking addition this summer.
The Colombian forward proved a real flop during his season-long loan spell, scoring just four Premier League goals, while experienced Dutchman Robin van Persie’s 10-goal haul was the 31-year-old’s lowest tally since 2009/10. As such, one can well see why a new striker signing would be high on the club’s agenda.
Having secured a return to Champions League action for the coming campaign, Van Gaal can certainly look to recruit a world-class marksman and Bacca may prove a clever option to consider.
The 28-year-old has the powerful physique that would make him an ideal Premier League weapon, Chelsea’s acquisition of Diego Costa perhaps being a similar case in point, and Bacca may well be tempted by a high-profile move to Man United.
Bacca has taken a circuitous route to the big-time, a stint in Belgium leading to a switch to Andalusia, and the South American is certainly a player on a rich run of form.
A 21-goal debut season brought Bacca to the attention of Europe’s big clubs and this season’s haul of 28 goals has led to the interest of Liverpool and Tottenham (Via Daily Telegraph). But neither of those clubs have Champions League action to offer the Sevilla star.
Having won the Europa League, with Bacca scoring seven goals in the competition, Sevilla have Champions League action to act as a carrot to retain the player, but that may not be enough.
Man United are clearly a bigger club than Sevilla and the temptation of a move to the English giants would surely be hard to resist, if indeed an official approach is made by Van Gaal’s side.
Van Gaal has already secured the signing of Memphis Depay, for a reported fee of £25m (Via Daily Mirror), and it appears further additions are likely when the transfer window reopens.