Manchester United are at a crucial stage of negotiations with Chelsea over top midfielder target Mason Mount.
United's third offer for the Englishman has been knocked back by the Blues despite Mount having one year left on his contract. The club offered £55m with Chelsea hoping for an additional £10m.
Mount wants to leave and Chelsea know that. MEN Sport understands that Technical Director John Murtough's "hands are tied" due to United's finances. Erik ten Hag also needs a new striker to bolster his squad this summer.
Reports have suggested United could be looking elsewhere. It has been stressed that although the 24-year-old is their primary target, Ten Hag has other options in mind.
READ MORE: Manchester United unhappy with Chelsea over Mason Mount situation
One of those is said to be Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, earmarked as a potential replacement by Chelsea for Mount. The Ecuadorian is highly sought after with Arsenal also linked with a move.
The Gunners tried to buy him in January but their advances were rebuffed. Caicedo himself tried to force a move, only to sign a new long-term deal in February with the understanding he could move for the right offer.
The jarring thing about any interest in Caicedo is any deal would leave a far more significant dent in United's budget than Mount would. The Seagulls will value the 25-year-old similar to Declan Rice, who is the subject of a £100million bidding war.
Other alternatives include Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch. The former Ajax midfielder has a relationship with Ten Hag and has spoken publicly about his future.
The Dutchman has not featured as much for the reluctant Bundesliga winners as hoped. He admitted internal talks with have a big bearing on where he plays his football next year.
Bayern are unlikely to be willing sellers after only one year, though. There is uncertainty over Leon Goretska's future and that could open the door for Gravenberch to gain more minutes.
Of course, Rice himself remains on the market but is not a direct fit for Ten Hag's number eight role. He could be morphed and developed though, given his keenness to embody Yaya Toure.
His driving runs and ball-carrying ability has become a real asset in the last two years. United have always liked Rice and flirted with a bid but the timing has never been right for a formal bid.
Southampton's Romeo Lavia has also been admired by most top-six clubs but the Saints' asking price is bloated. As the window progresses, he's more likely to become a cheaper option.
Again, there is debate over whether he would be a stylistic fit for Ten Hag's eight role. In reality, he would be better as an understudy to Casemiro.
