Manchester United to make £9m bid for Atalanta striker Manolo Gabbiadini

Posted Sunday, November 27, 2011 by Metro.co.uk

Manolo Gabbiadini (centre) is an Italian U21 international

Despite claiming he is unlikely to bring in any new blood in the January transfer window, Sir Alex Ferguson is understood to be a big admirer of the 19-year-old, who has impressed in Serie A this year with a series of powerful displays and has scored ten goals in just 13 appearances for Italy's under-21 side.

Ferguson's recent activity in the transfer market has seen him drafting in youngsters in the shape of Phil Jones and David de
Gea to complement the older members of the squad, and the addition of Gabbiadini to the strikeforce would continue this trend.

If Sir Alex is unable to sign the youngster in January, the expected summer exits of Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen would make room for a new addition or two to the United strikeforce, though the Premier League outfit would face stiff competition from a number of Italian sides including Juventus and AC Milan.

Gabbiadini caught the eye during a loan spell at Cittadella last season and has since fit seamlessly back into the Atalanta front line, with his powerful physique proving too much for many Serie A defences.

Sir Alex may believes these attributes make the striker a perfect fit for the Premier League, but he will have a difficult task prising the youngster away from his native Italy in 2012.