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£30million Gaitan on way to United
The agent Jorge Mendes has cemented his position as a major driver of Manchester United's transfer business by brokering the deal which is likely to see Benfica's Argentinian midfielder Nicolas Gaitan sign for Sir Alex Ferguson at a price of €35m (£29.3m) next summer. Mendes, who has delivered Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Anderson, David de Gea and Bebe to Old Trafford in the past eight years, is a respected figure at Old Trafford and helped secure the informal agreement which, the Independent on Sunday revealed, should make Gaitan a United player next June. Benfica did not deny the story yesterday. The negotiating process has been complicated by a €45m (£37.7m) release clause, which United had categorically refused to meet, written into a new contract signed by the 23-year-old in October. Gaitan is also one of a number of players at the Portuguese club who are effectively only part-owned by Benfica, a proportion of their economic rights having been sold to the Benfica Stars Fund, a football investment fund set up in 2009 to raise short-term money for the club.

Starsport understands United have sounded out his agent Ulisse Savini about a possible £10m switch to the Premier League champions. Shaqiri, 20, has been likened to Messi following a string of impressive displays for Basel and Switzerland. The creative midfielder, who was born in Kosovo, has a similar build to the Barcelona star and is also left-footed. He impressed Fergie in both group games against United and is tipped to become one of the best players in Europe.