Manchester United have been dealt a blow in their ambitious pursuit of Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, according to reports.
United signed Casemiro from the reigning European champions last summer, and the Brazil international has been a major hit at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils also added Christian Eriksen to their ranks ahead of this season, but Erik ten Hag is keen to further bolster his options in the engine room.
One rumoured target is Camavinga, who was signed by Madrid in 2021 as a long-term successor to Casemiro.
The 20-year-old is under contract until 2027, but the Blancos are preparing to offer him a new deal in order to insert a huge release clause.
The Sun writes that Madrid want to set that clause at £874m in a bid to ward off interest from Camavinga's suitors, a group which contains United.
It is unlikely that the France international would be willing to swap Madrid for Manchester at this stage of his career anyway.
Camavinga has been with the Spanish giants for less than two years, and he has established himself as a regular starter this term.
United are on course to qualify for the Champions League this season as they continue their development under Ten Hag.
But Madrid remain ahead of the Red Devils as things stand, with a Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea on the horizon.
“I’m not going to say it’s normal, but I’m here,” Camavinga told the Guardian of last season's Champions League triumph.
"I wouldn’t say it’s normal to win the Champions League, but I just enjoyed the moment.
"I’ll think about it more when I’m older: my first year and we won the Champions League. But there’s a culture here that you win many of them."
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