Crystal Palace demand record-breaking fee from Manchester United for Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Manchester United may have to fork out more than £60 million to secure the signing of Crystal Palace defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, say reports.
The 21-year-old enjoyed an impressive season with the Selhurst Park outfit in 2018/19 and he been targeted as part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s summer rebuilding job at Old Trafford.
However, United will have to double their previous record transfer fee for a defender in order to complete a deal, according to ESPN FC.
Their initial bid of £35 million plus £5 million in add-ons was knocked back and Palace are said to be holding out for a £50 million fee and bonuses worth more than £10 million.
Wan-Bissaka is under contract with the Eagles until 2022 and has said he’s happy to remain at the club next season, putting Palace in a strong bargaining position.
The largest fee the Red Devils have ever splashed on a defender was the £31 million paid to Benfica for Victor Lindelof in 2017.
If United were to agree to such a deal for Wan-Bissaka, he would become their third-most expensive signing of all time.
If a deal can’t be reached, PSG and Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier remains an alternative, although Arsenal are also interested.
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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.