Euro Paper Talk: Man Utd spy ‘epitome of football intelligence’ as Aston Villa battle for no.10; Tottenham target €50m playmaker
Man Utd and Aston Villa target Nicolai Vallys
There is a new attacking midfielder on the radar of Manchester United after his international debut alongside two of their current players, while Tottenham are said to be in contention to sign an Inter star – per Monday’s European papers.
MAN UTD IN SEVEN-WAY BATTLE FOR BRONDBY STAR
Manchester United have been scouting Brondby attacking midfielder Nicolai Vallys, but so have fellow Premier League side Aston Villa and Championship outfit Southampton.
That’s according to Ekstra Bladet, which has described the 27-year-old rather glowingly as the ‘epitome of football intelligence’ as he enjoys a season in which he has already scored six goals from 12 league games in Denmark.
The report claims Man Utd scouts watched him score the winner for his side against Nordsjaelland on Sunday. Also in attendance were representatives from Aston Villa and Southampton.
In fact, the full list of observers for Vallys extends to include PSV, Wolfsburg, Real Betis and Marseille. PSV might be the most serious suitors, since they sent their chief scout to monitor the recent Denmark debutant.
The ultimate question will be who is willing to pay what for Vallys. Unlike many other Scandinavian talents that English clubs scout, he is not a young prospect and is a player in the prime of his career – albeit without any experience of a league outside his native country – and the report suggests there may be concerns about his resale value.
Brondby have him under contract until 2026, but their manager Jesper Sorensen has suggested he might be outgrowing them.
Sorensen said: “I don’t go about my day worrying about whether we can keep Vallys. But if there is someone else who thinks Vallys is more talented than us, then I can really understand that.”
When Vallys earned his debut for Denmark in September during qualification for Euro 2024, he shared a pitch with Man Utd midfielder Christian Eriksen and striker Rasmus Hojlund.
The chances of them becoming colleagues at club level still seem to be on the slim side, but anything could yet happen in the transfer market.
SPURS SEEK CALHANOGLU SIGNING
Tottenham could compete to sign Hakan Calhanoglu from Inter for €50m if they qualify for the Champions League. (InterLive)
Borussia Dortmund have joined the chase for Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, who is also a target for Bayern Munich. (Bild)
Said Benrahma is giving serious thought to leaving West Ham in the January transfer window. (Fennec Football)
Tottenham remain interested in Victor Nelsson, with the defender ready to leave Galatasaray for up to €20m. (Aksam)
Aston Villa full-back Alex Moreno is being weighed up for a return to Real Betis as a replacement for Juan Miranda. (Estadio Deportivo)
SPANISH GIANTS EYE IRISH TALENT
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are both eyeing Shamrock Rovers starlet Naj Razi, but the attacker could wait for a Premier League move. (Irish Independent)
Juventus and Inter are both looking at Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski in case the midfielder becomes a free agent next year. (Gazzetta Dello Sport)
Napoli believe Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez could be a replacement for Victor Osimhen. (Calciomercato)
Borussia Dortmund have entered the equation for Paris Saint-Germain prospect Warren Zaire-Emery. (Calciomercato)
Union Berlin could sack manager Urs Fischer if they lose to Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday. (Bild)
Julian Nagelsmann has been watching Augsburg striker Phillip Tietz ahead of a possible Germany call-up. (Kicker)