Man Utd ready to hijack Luton transfer as they ‘try to speed up’ talks for another target | OneFootball

Oscar Zambrano has been linked with a winter move to Old Trafford.

Man Utd are ready to battle Luton Town for the signing of LDU Quito midfielder Oscar Zambrano, according to reports in Ecuador.

The Red Devils are not having a good season with pressure building on Erik ten Hag to turn around results and performances.

Man Utd have been knocked out of Europe and the League Cup, while they continue to drift in the Premier League after their defeat to Nottingham Forest on December 30.

That loss saw Man Utd drop down to eighth in the Premier League table with Ten Hag’s side now closer, in terms of points, to Fulham in 13th than Arsenal in fourth.

And Ten Hag is keen to bolster his ranks with reports insisting the former Ajax boss wants to bring as many as three new signings to Old Trafford this month.

and now reports in Ecuador insist they have a strong interest in the ‘new Moises Caicedo’.

Writing in his column for El Futbolero, journalist Christian Martin insists that Man Utd and Brighton are looking at hijacking Luton Town’s bid for LDU Quito’s Zambrano.

Luton have ‘already made an offer’ for the Ecuador Under-20 international but now the Red Devils and the Seagulls have ’emerged’ as other suitors.

Man Utd ‘does not want to repeat the same mistake it made by passing up the opportunity to sign Moises Caicedo’ but Brighton are seen as ‘pioneers of signing “cheap” South American players’.

19-year-old Zambrano, who has already accumulated 48 appearances for Quito, would have ‘no problem in obtaining a work permit because he is a youth and international player’.

And Man Utd are hopeful of signing another young player too with Lille centre-back Leny Yoro understood to be on their shortlist of transfer targets.

French publication Le10 Sport claims that Man Utd have ‘formalised discussions’ over a potential transfer for the France Under-21 international, while the Premier League outfit have ‘tried to speed up’ negotiations over the past month.

However, a major stumbling block remains with Man Utd unwilling to spend €70m, Yoro’s reported valuation, on a centre-back who has only made 37 senior appearances.

The 6ft 3in defender has represented France at a number of youth level ages and made his professional debut for Lille in a 3-1 win over Nice in May 2022 at the age of 16.