MANCHESTER UNITED have opened talks with Nottingham Forest over a move for midfielder Danilo, according to reports.
If the deal goes through it could spell the end of Christian Eriksen’s time at Old Trafford after the 32-year-old was given the green light to explore any options to leave.
Christian Eriksen has been told he is free to negotiate with clubs[/caption]Midfielder Danilo quickly cemented himself as a star at Forest, playing a central role in helping the club avoid relegation last term.
And the Brazilian’s stellar form and £34m asking price has caught the eye of United, according to TNT Sports.
The 23-year-old has scored six goals and provided four assists in 49 games across all competitions since his £16m arrival from Brazilian side Palmeiras in January 2023.
Ten Hag is now focused on recruiting a midfielder after bolstering his back-line with the arrival of Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Leny Yoro.
Eriksen has been told that he is free to find another club with Belgian side Anderlecht interested in the former Spurs and Juventus man.
The Denmark international is about to enter the final year of his Old Trafford contract so United are keen on cashing in.
He featured just 28 times last season, with only 14 of those coming from the start, as he was slowly phased out amid the rise of Kobbie Mainoo.
Eriksen remained an unused substitute during the 7-6 penalty shoot- out defeat to Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday.
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS
Scott McTominay and Casemiro continue to be linked with exits, with the Red Devils actively pursuing deals for the likes of Adrien Rabiot and Manuel Ugarte.
Although personal terms with Ugarte have been agreed, United want £10m slashed off PSG’s £51m asking price.
Meanwhile, Forest could strategically benefit from Danilo’s sale after they were hit with a four-point deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules last season.
Under the Financial Fair Play regulations, clubs cannot lose more than £105million over three seasons and since Forest’s promotion via the 2022 play-off final, they splashed the cash on 50 players.
The Red Devils also have Frenkie de Jong, Sander Berge and Youssouf Fofana on their radar.
SUNSPORT'S TRANSFER NEWS LIVE
STAY in the know this summer with The Sun's transfer experts.
Chelsea are on the verge of landing £85million Napoli star Victor Osimhen — in an extraordinary player-swap deal.
Meanwhile, Conor Gallagher is in transfer limbo, with the Chelsea midfielder’s proposed £33.7million move to Atletico Madrid in huge doubt.
Elsewhere, Newcastle have made a FOURTH bid worth £65million for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, according to reports.
In other news, Chelsea are preparing to offer Manchester United two players and a transfer fee to sign Jadon Sancho, according to sensational reports in Germany.
Follow our LIVE TRANSFER BLOG for all the latest deals, gossip and exclusives.
Danilo on thriving under pressure
Danilo – who has also sparked the interest of AC Milan – has previously spoken of his ability to block out pressure and his career ambition.
Danilo told The Athletic: “What I learned from all the managers was the value of remaining grounded, especially Abel Ferreira.
“He told us to have cool heads but always warm hearts. He told us to block out the noise and just focus on playing.
“I think every manager wants players with winning attitudes and a great mentality, big personalities to perform under stress.”