Man Utd make ‘informal contact’ with TWO Newcastle stars as £175m earmarked for major midfield overhaul

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Man Utd are showing strong interest in Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes and teammate Sandro Tonali, according to reports in Spain.

AS claim the Red Devils have a budget of around €200m (£175m) to strengthen the club’s midfield ahead of the summer transfer window,

Guimaraes and Tonali lead five-man group shortlist of targets, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Wolves’ Joao Gomes.

Noticeably missing from the list is Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. The Cameroon international was one of United’s top targets last summer, but he had a poor season and it appears his name has fallen down the pecking order. Get Manchester United clothing from Fanatics UK here.

“Informal contact” has been made with the Newcastle pair

It appears director of football Jason Wilcox and head of recruiting Christopher Vivell are wasting no time trying to bring in summer recruits.

AS say “informal contacts” have been made with Guimaraes and Tonali’s agents, although no formal steps have been made so far with Newcastle.

It is believed that the Magpies would not allow both players to leave at the end of the season, but only one of them. With Eddie Howe’s side unlikely to qualify for the Champions League, they are in a vulnerable position and some sales are inevitable.

Tonali has many suitors

While Guimaraes is undoubtedly a top talent, the fact that he is now 28 means there will be less competition for his services than there was a few years ago. The Brazilian has strong links with Newcastle, however, meaning he might be reluctant to leave.

Tonali, on the other hand, is apparently open to a new challenge, but he has also attracted interest from Arsenal, Juventus and others.

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