Man Utd transfer news and rumours: Sergio Ramos, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Nicolas Otamendi

Real Madrid have rejected Manchester United’s opening bid of £35 million for Sergio Ramos, according to reports, but an improved offer is already being put together.

United made their move for the Madrid defender on Thursday and it was said that Ramos told his Spanish employers he wanted to leave the Bernabeu.

However, Madrid are playing hardball at the moment and spurned the approach from United, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

“Manchester United's £35million bid for Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has been rejected,” the paper reports. “They are now considering a revised bid, having made a cash offer to Madrid that did not include goalkeeper David de Gea.”

Real Madrid aren't an easy club to deal with and were never going to accept the first bid they got. United surely knew that and didn't actually expect to get him for £35m, but both clubs know that Ramos wants out and that he wants things decided soon. Expect an improved bid before long and if it's not one that Real Madrid accept, it will be close.

Germany's biggest-selling tabloid Bild has reported that Manchester United are so keen to land World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger that they are prepared to sacrifice record signing Angel Di Maria in order to get him

Clearly there would be some money to United if this deal went ahead: Di Maria is 27, while Schweinsteiger turns 31 in five weeks' time. But both are world class players who are reportedly discontent with their current environments.

There is a long way to go before this is agreed - and as always with swap deals, things tend to get enormously complicated. But Bild suggests that it is more likely than not to go ahead: 60-40, they reckon.

Of course, it could just be a ruse to sell papers, or machinations from the Schweinsteiger camp to force a move to Old Trafford. After all, Di Maria said last night that he wants to stick it out and turn things around at United - and in an era where nobody seems abashed by openly pushing for the exit, that is very unusual behaviour indeed.

Manchester United have had a major boost in their hopes of landing Germany's World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger as reports emerge that the midfielder's contract talks have broken down.

Things are reportedly so bad that the German superclub will now not off the 30-year-old any kind of new deal.

And with Michael Carrick now 34, the BBC claim Louis van Gaal has made it a priority to sign the German midfielder this summer.

But other reports claim it's merely a plot by Schweini's agent to 'do a Dani Alves' and get his man a better deal.

Only time will tell where the truth lies. But whereas Alves had every reason to stay at the Nou Camp, Schweinsteiger has plenty of reasons to try something new - and what's more, he has plenty of old friends waiting at Old Trafford, including former Bayern manager Louis van Gaal.

Otamendi only moved to Valencia in 2014 but after a stand-out season in La Liga is said to have drawn the attention of a host of top clubs.

His agent Eugenio Lopez revealed last month that the centre-back had received an offer from an unmanned top club. Otamendi is believed to have met with Valencia at the end of the season to advise them of his desire to leave the club.

The centre-back has been tight-lipped about his future up until now but has now revealed that his agent has his “authorisation”.

The truth is that I am enjoying being with the national team, at the Copa America, where there is a lot of responsibility to wear the jersey," Otamendi told ESPN.

"I spoke at the time with my agent, and Valencia know very well what I want.

"Every word my agent says is obviously with my authorisation, with whoever he needs to speak with. At the moment, as I said, my head is fully with the national team, to be able to perform at the maximum when I get to play, and to enjoy this unique moment."

It looks like Otamendi does indeed want to leave Valencia. However, the club from whom he has an offer and who he would like to move to remain shrouded in mystery.

Numerous media reports suggest that United are in fact that club. However, Otamendi, who is a defender first and a ball player second, does not seem to fit the criteria required to play in a Louis van Gaal team. United are first and foremost after a composed, ball playing defender and the Argentine does not fit that mould.

Manchester United have agreed a fee for Hoffenheim forward Roberto Firmino, according to ESPN Brazil journalist Jose Elias.

It is claimed that the Brazil international will cost just €18m, around £13m, despite many valuing him at more than £20m.

The 23-year-old has scored three goals in six games for Brazil and is part of the squad for the Copa America in Chile.

Firmino has spent most of his time at Hoffenheim in the number 10 role but can also play wide and as a striker.

It's hard not to be wary of reports from relatively unknown journalists claiming deals are already complete, but what is for certain is that Firmino is a high calibre player who could improve Manchester United's squad. Whether an attacking midfielder is what they need right now is debatable but if they really have agreed a deal for just £13m it is an incredible coup. So incredible, in fact, that it is almost certain to be untrue.

As if losing one excellent Spanish goalkeeper wasn't bad enough, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo are claiming that Victor Valdes could join team-mate David De Gea in making a return move to Spain this summer - by joining Valencia.

The former Barcelona goalkeeper has been backup to De Gea throughout his first six months at Old Trafford and is apparently seen by Valencia as an excellent option to replace the injured Brazilian Diego Alves.

With De Gea's move to Real Madrid seeming increasingly likely, it's doubtful whether the Red Devils would let two experienced goalkeepers go in the same summer.

Victor Valdes may have only played twice for United last season but it would be a shame to see him leave already. After a horrible anterior crucial ligament injury that brought his Barcelona career to an end and ruled him out of the 2014 World Cup, it was great to see him earn a permanent deal at Manchester United. At his peak he was an excellent goalkeeper, forming a key part of the Barcelona treble-winning side of 2009. If he could get back to that form there is no reason why the 33-year-old couldn't become Manchester United's first-choice goalkeeper in the short-term. He's certainly worth persevering with for another year with David De Gea set to leave and should still be at the club next season.