United close to signing former PSG striker Edinson Cavani on two-year deal; capture of Jadon Sancho appears unlikely
Monday 5 October 2020 06:26, UK
Manchester United have agreed a deal in principle to sign Alex Telles for a fee believed to be £15.4million, with the Porto left-back flying to Manchester on Sunday night ahead of a medical with the club on Monday.
United felt their chances of agreeing a deal for the 27-year-old were fading after they had a £15.4m offer - an initial £13.6m with £1.8m in add-ons - rejected by the Portuguese champions, who were holding out for £22.5m.
One source close to the deal described negotiations as "dead", and United expected they would have to wait until January to hold talks with the player about a free transfer, with his present contract ending next summer.
However, negotiations began again on Sunday morning, with Porto changing their minds on United's most recent bid - convinced that no subsequent offer was likely from Old Trafford given the transfer window closes for Premier League clubs at 11pm on Monday.
Telles was due to fly to Sao Paulo on Sunday ahead of Brazil's World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru when news of the deal came through, and will now board a private jet from Porto Airport to Manchester.
Once his medical is completed on Monday, Telles will then fly to join the Brazil national team.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to bring in a new left-back before the deadline to add competition for Luke Shaw - who has struggled with injuries since arriving at Old Trafford in 2014 - and Brandon Williams, who only broke into the first team last season.
Telles arrived at Porto from Galatasaray in 2016 and has gone on to win two Portuguese league titles and the Portuguese cup in nearly 200 appearances for the club.
It has been a frustrating summer for United, whose only signing during this window has been Donny van de Beek from Ajax.
The pursuit of their main target during this window, Jadon Sancho, appears close to failure after Borussia Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc said on Saturday "the door is closed" on the move.
United failed to agree a deal for the 20-year-old before Dortmund's August 10 deadline, and the £91.3m offer they made last week was rejected by the German club.
However, one player who does look likely to be joining United is Edinson Cavani, who is close to signing a two-year deal.
The Uruguay international, who is a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season, is understood to be in advanced discussions and could begin his medical on Sunday ahead of a move.
Manchester Utd are hopeful of securing the 33-year-old ahead of Monday's deadline so he can be included in their squad for their return to the Champions League.
The summer transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday, October 5 with a feast of activity throughout the day involving the biggest names in football.
Some of the highlights to enjoy on Sky Sports News and across our Sky Sports platforms:
You can also follow the stories on Sky Sports' digital platforms, with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
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