Man United suffer new transfer blow as £34m midfielder 'favours' Newcastle move

Manchester United have been dealt a blow in their efforts to sign Danilo, who has reportedly earmarked Newcastle United as an ideal destination for a summer move.

The Red Devils have added Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to their midfield ranks this summer but are yet to sign a direct replacement for Casemiro, who departed following the expiration of his contract in June.

Atalanta BC's Ederson was on the verge of joining during the World Cup, but a deal for the Brazil international collapsed, purportedly due to a medical issue.

Ederson has since signed a new contract with the Serie A club, forcing Man United to turn their midfield attentions elsewhere, and several alternative options have been touted.

Alex Scott, Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga have all been mentioned as possible hires, as has Danilo, who formerly represented Nottingham Forest in the top division.

Man United-linked Danilo 'favours' Newcastle move

Earlier this month, it was reported that Man United had opened talks to sign the Botafogo lynchpin, who is valued at a modest £34m by the Brazilian outfit.

However, UoL claims that Danilo's camp view a move to Newcastle United in a 'favourable' light, as game time at St James' Park could be a guarantee with the Magpies going through a midfield transition.

Newcastle have already sold Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur in a £92.5m deal, while Arsenal are not giving up on Bruno Guimaraes and could soon send a £70m offer to the Magpies.

In addition, Joelinton is believed to be on the radar of Saudi Arabian teams, and Newcastle have touched base with Botafogo to enquire about a summer deal for Danilo, whose contract runs until 2029.

Palmeiras and Zenit St Petersburg were also in the mix, but Botafogo do not wish to strengthen a direct rival, nor is Danilo interested in a transfer to Russia.

The 25-year-old made 50 Premier League appearances for Nottingham Forest - scoring five goals - and has recorded an impressive seven goals and two assists in 13 Brasileiro matches this season.

Do Man United need another midfielder?

It is hard to shake the feeling that Man United's midfield remains incomplete, even though Michael Carrick has at least seven players who could operate in a deeper role.

One of those men - Manuel Ugarte - is out for the long-term with a knee injury, but Santos, Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Dan Gore and Tyler Fletcher are all capable of playing in a double pivot.

Of course, Gore, Fletcher and Collyer all lack top-level experience - the latter is the oldest of the trio at 22 and was restricted to just 17 matches for West Bromwich Albion and Hull City last season.

Collyer is accustomed to playing as a number six, but for games against the big boys when Carrick does not want to risk a duo of any of Santos, Tielemans and Mainoo, a new holding midfielder adept at breaking up play would be invaluable.