Manchester United have made surprise offer for Serie A star to become first signing of the summer: report

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag looks on during the UEFA Champions League match between F.C. Copenhagen and Manchester United at Parken Stadium on November 08, 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
(Image credit: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Manchester United have made a surprise offer for a Serie A superstar to become their first summer signing.

The Red Devils are pushing to qualify for the Champions League this season but a huge summer lies ahead. It'll be the first with INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment, with the lifelong fan having installed his own backroom team to fix the club off the field.

Plenty of stars are expected to depart, while there may be shock signings on the cards as Manchester United look to overhaul a tired squad. 

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag alongside Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has big plans for United (Image credit: Getty Images)

Italian outlet Il Mattino are reporting that Napoli star Giovanni Di Lorenzo has “offers on the table” from both United and Aston Villa, as both sides target a right-back.

The 30-year-old has signed a new contract of late but likely wouldn't be a costly option to improve a defence. Napoli often drive a hard bargain but would likely let Di Lorenzo leave for half of what other right-back targets could cost United.

Villa have opted for centre-back Ezri Konsa at full-back for much of this season, while United have relied on Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, neither of whom have sufficiently locked down the position to the point where their future looks certain. 

Giovanni Di Lorenzo of Italy in action during the International Friendly match between Venezuela and Italy at Chase Stadium on March 21, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo has an offer on the table from Manchester United (Image credit: Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo's opinion, Di Lorenzo would be a solid option at right-back who could provide quality in the short-term – but reports of offers having already been made may be a little premature, with the Red Devils still finalising their recruitment team. 

Di Lorenzo is valued at €18 million by Transfermarkt

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Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.