Manchester United forced to switch target attention
With Xherdan Shaqiri now on his way to Bayern Munich, Manchester United will switch their attention back to Athletic Bilbao and Spanish starlet, Iker Muniain.
The Red Devils have shown heavy interest in Muiain over recent seasons and are known to have scouted the player extensively, along with Chelsea.
The two English giants were being linked with a summer move for the star but a transfer failed materialize for either, keeping their options open for alternative signatures.
Wednesday saw Bayern Munich confirm that the Bundesliga outfit had agreed a €9.5m fee with FC Basel and that Shaqiri had agreed to join up with the German side in the summer.
Although losing out on the Swiss sensation is a blow for both Manchester United and Chelsea, Muniain is no mean replacement, demonstrated in his pric-tag which is nearly £30m more than Shaqiri’s.
The 19 year-old has become a key member of the Athletic Bilbao side that have made it into this year’s Copa del Rey final where they will play Barcelona.
Despite his young age, Muniain has made 34 starts for the Spanish side this season across all competitions, scoring five goals and making six assists along the way.
Bilbao have apparently valued their youngster at a fee of £38m; the same fee Manchester City paid to sign Argentine hitman Sergio Aguero last summer.
Although United will be keen on signing their target, the Premier League title holders are unlikely to pay for Muniain while his price site as it is but who knows what lengths the club will go to now that Shaqiri has been snapped up elsewhere.
