Manchester United must reportedly fend off interest from Brighton & Hove Albion if they are to land Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi this summer.
The 23-year-old - a product of Roma and Lazio's youth academies - is believed to have caught the eye of the Red Devils thanks to a seven-goal haul from 36 Serie A games this season.
Frattesi has made 35 starts in the Italian top flight for the Neroverdi, primarily operating as a central midfielder but also being deployed as a number 10 on occasion.
The four-cap Italy international earned his first call-up to the Azzurri squad for last year's Nations League fixtures in June, having also ended his breakthrough season at Sassuolo with four goals and four assists from 36 matches in 2021-22.
Frattesi remains under contract with Sassuolo until the summer of 2026 - having agreed an extension only last year - but Man United are believed to have sent scouts to keep an eye on his progress.
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However, Football Insider now reports that the Red Devils are facing competition from Brighton to bring Frattesi to the Premier League as the Seagulls aim to bolster their midfield ranks.
Roberto De Zerbi - who worked with Frattesi during his time in Italy - could soon be waving goodbye to both Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo, the former of whom is expected to join Liverpool in a deal worth at least £60m.
Meanwhile, Brighton resisted two bids from Arsenal for Caicedo in January, but the Ecuador international memorably announced his desire to leave on social media and was briefly cut from the squad in the process.
In a surprise twist, Brighton subsequently tied Caicedo down to a new deal until 2027, but the Seagulls are apparently resigned to losing the 21-year-old in the upcoming window.
As a result, De Zerbi is believed to be pining for a reunion with Frattesi as Mac Allister and Caicedo prepare to depart, in spite of the imminent arrivals of James Milner and Mahmoud Dahoud.
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Given the significant funds that Brighton could raise from the sales of Caicedo and Mac Allister, the Seagulls do not believed that they will be out-gunned financially by Man United.
Furthermore, the Red Devils are expected to prioritise attacking additions first and foremost before turning their attention to midfield signings if funds allow.
Erik ten Hag welcomed both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen to the club last summer, although their long-running pursuit of Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong ended in failure, while Scott McTominay is being tipped to leave amid his lack of game time.
Frattesi made a name for himself in two separate Serie B spells with Empoli and Monza before making his breakthrough at Sassuolo, where he boasts a total of 11 goals and four assists from 76 matches in all tournaments.
Ben Knapton
