Man Utd boss told 'hands off' and got clear message from £87m target's family

Ruben Amorim is closing in on avenging one of Erik ten Hag's failed transfer targets during his time in charge of Manchester United after being told he was not for sale two years ago

Manchester United are once more linked with Valencia's Javi Guerra, despite being knocked back with a clear hands off warning from the La Liga club two years ago. Erik ten Hag was enjoying his second full summer transfer window at Old Trafford at the time, desperate to further improve the Red Devils side he inherited after the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he showed an interest in Guerra.

The 22-year-old midfielder's £87million release clause reportedly caught the attention of the United top brass, who were contemplating activating it to bring the Spaniard to Old Trafford. However, Valencia insisted that they held no intentions of cashing in on their wonderkid, who initially rose through the youth system of Villarreal before a 2019 move, signing his first professional contract two years later.

Their sporting director Miguel Angel Corona told the Mail at the time: "We are fully aware that we have a player with enormous potential for the future and the ability to perform at a good level now. That is why the club have decisively moved him up to the first team in recent months. It is not in our plans to sell him to any club."

He added: "For us, the emergence of Javi Guerra has not been a surprise. We have been aware of what he is capable of for a long time, we have been helping him and demanding more from him every step of the way, from youth level to the elite.

"He has to continue working in this way. We have to be cautious when making assessments about his level or how far he will be able to go, as he is a young player and has a long way ahead of him, but only he, with his day-to-day work, will determine where his limit is."

Meanwhile, Guerra himself admitted in May 2023 that his family had urged him to remain at Valencia. He said: "They advise me to stay the same, not to change because all this has cost a lot of work and we have to continue like this."

The news came as a big blow to Ten Hag, as well as Newcastle United's Eddie Howe, who was also said to have been monitoring the youngster's situation closely. United instead secured Mason Mount from Chelsea in a £55m deal, as well as Sofyan Amrabat on loan from Fiorentina.

However, it now appears as though the Red Devils are once again in the running to secure Guerra's services. While United have looked to bolster their frontline thus far, with the addition of Matheus Cunha from Wolves and a pursuit of Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, Ruben Amorim is also looking at strengthening the centre of the park.

And as per reports in Italy, Guerra looks increasingly close to finally leaving behind the Spanish sunshine in favour of north west England. While his hefty release clause is still in place, United may look to negotiate a cheaper deal for the talent, given that they have already spent big this summer and have a number of other targets in place across the pitch.

With Christian Eriksen departing and Casemiro's playing time at the Theatre of Dreams uncertain, Amorim could be looking at a younger squad base to adapt to his patented 3-4-3 system. And Guerra could certainly fit the bill as an excelling partner to Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, as Kobbie Mainoo's own place in the starting XI is in question given he has struggled to play to Amorim's style.

He impressed in La Liga last season, scoring three goals and providing three assists in 36 appearances for Valencia, who finished a respectable 12th in the standings. And with a struggling United finishing a record-low 15th in the Premier League, Amorim will be eager to find more stability and composure in the heart of midfield ahead of next season.