Kevin Strootman to Manchester United? Dutchman could be on his way to Old Trafford after Roma soften stance

Italian media reports club have privately decided to sell

Kevin Strootman could be on his way to Manchester United after Roma softened their stance on the Dutch midfielder.

The Dutch midfielder was previously not for sale at any cost, but Gazzetta dello Sport say Roma have changed their minds.

Publicly the club are maintaining he is not for sale, but the newspaper believes Director of Football Walter Sabbatini is privately willing to entertain offers of around €35million (£28m).

The 24-year-old will miss the World Cup because of a serious knee injury.

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New United boss Louis van Gaal is a keen admirer of the injured Dutch midfielder

Roma last week agreed a free transfer for former Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita and though the 34-year-old wouldn’t be a proper replacement for a fully fit Strootman, the Mali man performed well in his six months at Valencia, helping the club reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Strootman has long been a target for United, with Louis van Gaal a keen admirer of the box-to-box midfielder.

However, Strootman is not expected to play again until the autumn. Though he made a return for Roma after surgery in March, he re-aggravated the injury in May and could miss the start of next season.