Man Utd plot bold £45m England international swoop as Aston Villa eye ambitious Old Trafford raid

It’s been a slow start to the summer at Old Trafford; plenty of whispers, very little substance. Manchester United will know that a strong transfer window could hold the key to their silverware prospects next season, but then again, you could say that about literally any transfer window since Sir Alex Ferguson left and it would have been a fair observation.

Nevertheless, the Red Devils need signings, and judging by the deluge of rumours doing the rounds, signings they will make. Here are Monday’s Manchester United transfer rumours...

Villa prioritise Sancho

Unai Emery has performed the kind of miraculous turnaround at Aston Villa usually reserved for the latter half of an episode of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. The Spaniard has taken the Villans from relegation fodder to European participants in just a few short months, and judging by their transfer activity this summer, they’re not done cookin’ just yet.

As per Rudy Galetti, Villa have made Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho a priority target over the coming weeks. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “There are several names on the list, among which Jadon Sancho, Luiz Henrique and [Harvey] Barnes stand out as main targets. The Villans are exploring these tracks and they could make a concrete action in the next weeks.”

The 3AM Verdict: It is safe to say that Sancho’s stint with United has not produced anywhere near as much as either he or United would have wanted. Then again, there were signs of promise towards the back end of this season, and plenty of reason to believe that with a decent preseason under his belt, he could salvage something from his Old Trafford career.

Pickford bid inbound

United’s hunt for a new goalkeeper could take them to the door of Everton’s Jordan Pickford - a man who is seemingly on a career-long mission to irk as many Liverpool fans as humanly possible. According to the Daily Star, the Red Devils are preparing a bid of around £45 million for the England number one, and the Toffees could be forced to sell due to a plethora of looming financial concerns...

The 3AM Verdict: If United can lure Pickford to Old Trafford this summer, brilliant. The Everton stopper is a fine, fine goalkeeper, who is just as adept with the ball at his feet as he is when it comes to keeping shots out. David de Gea’s contract stalemate is still seemingly no closer to finding a resolution, and the simplest - and indeed best - answer might be for United to draw a line under things and start again with a fresh number one.

Frankfurt want Lindelof

And finally, it could be a sad, sad day for fans of Scandinavian slapstick comedy, with Football Insider reporting that Eintracht Frankfurt remain interested in signing United defender Victor Lindelof. The centre-back has one year left on his current contract at Old Trafford, and while talks are underway over a possible extension, a lack of first team opportunities could hinder the negotiating process.

As things stand, it is understood that both player and club are happy with maintaining the status quo, but the Swede is firmly behind Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez in the pecking order, and should he decide that his future lies elsewhere, Frankfurt are ready to swoop.

The 3AM Verdict:To be fair to Lindelof, he has looked okay recently, and it does feel as if he has won the trust of Erik ten Hag this season. Whether he will be satisfied with a secondary role next term - especially with United reportedly in the market for another centre-back signing this summer - only he will know for certain, but if the Red Devils can convince him to stay put, they could definitely do far worse for covering options.