Villarreal's Eric Bailly passes medical at Manchester United - reports

The deal with Villarreal for the Ivory Coast international, which the Dail Mail reported earlier in the week could be worth up to £30m, looks increasingly likely if the rumours, reported by Sky Sports, are to be believed.

22-year-old Bailly made 25 La Liga appearances for Villarreal last season, after signing for the club in January 2015 and is thought to have been the target of United’s local rivals Manchester City, as well as Barcelona and Paris-Saint-Germain.

United – who are also reportedly close to sealing a deal with former PSG forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic – could be in for a busy transfer season under their new manager, though Sweden captain Ibrahimovic was coy about his future destination at an event to launch his new sportswear brand A-Z, today.

"I want you to keep wondering where I will go," said the star. "Keep making stories because I enjoy when these go out.

"My future is A-Z," he added. "They will be wearing A-Z in Manchester also."