RB Leizpig prepared to make Manchester United target highest-paid player at the club – Christian Falk

Posted Sunday, May 14, 2023 by Caughtoffside.com

RB Leipzig remain determined as ever to hold on to star midfielder Dani Olmo beyond the upcoming summer window, offering the Spaniard a contract that would make him the highest-paid player at the club, as was revealed by Christian Falk in his latest exclusive Substack column.

Despite desiring a dream switch to Barcelona, the La Liga outfit's difficult finances could very well lead the Bundesliga talent down alternative avenues, with the Premier League, perhaps, a viable option.

"Leipzig is still working hard to get Dani Olmo on a new contract. He has an option to sign a new contract that would give him a release clause – €60m for Spain, €70m for another country," the BILD reporter wrote for CaughtOffside.

"Perhaps they would lower that fee also, so they're prepared to negotiate. He would be the highest-earner at the club, earning about €10m.

"At the moment, the feeling is that he won't sign the contract. His dream is to play for Barcelona but they don't have the money at the moment, so perhaps Real Madrid can also be interesting.

"I can say Bayern Munich doesn't have him on the list, so English clubs could get involved. Manchester United was interested and that doesn't always go away quickly. I think there will be talks from the agents because at the moment he will be sold in the summer if they don't find a new solution with the contract."

Erik ten Hag's admiration for the player has certainly been well-documented and Manchester United are considered keen on the prospect of expanding their array of midfield stars should the opportunity present itself.

The forward line will, of course, take priority, with the need for another top striker apparent in light of the clear reliance on the goalscoring prowess of Marcus Rashford.

Indeed, it's telling that beyond the England international (29 goals in all competitions), only Bruno Fernandes (11) has registered double figures in the goalscoring charts. Two big-money signings in Antony (eight) and Jadon Sancho (six) have proven utterly disappointing by contrast.

Dependent on how the club's takeover process is resolved – one their Dutch head coach will be particularly keen to see cross the finish line ahead of the summer – of course, could have huge ramifications for how flexible their budget will be and whether it might encompass a move for the €70m (£60.9m) valued star.