Manchester United transfer news: Monaco sporting director claims United have offered Nani to the club

Portuguese winger could be on his way out of Old Trafford after Vadim Vasilyev claims the club have approached him with a view to sell

Nani (Getty Images)

Manchester United have offered out-of-form winger Nani to money-rich club AS Monaco according to their sporting director.

Vadim Vasilyev, who has overseen the arrivals of Radamel Falcao, Ricardo Carvalho, Joao Moutinho and a whole host of other signings since the club were promoted back to Ligue 1, has claimed that United have offered the Portuguese international.

Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe, he said: “He has been proposed to us. He is a very good player, but there have been no talks so far.

“We have already changed our group quite a bit and we also want to offer opportunities to our young players. We still have time to make a few alterations before the end of the transfer window, if needed.”

Nani did not travel with the rest of the United squad on their pre-season tour of Asia after he underwent a nose operation, but he may well be concerned over his future after the signing of Wilfried Zaha and the emergence of Jesse Lingard, who can both play in Nani’s flank position.

The 26-year-old has been hugely inconsistent since Sir Alex Ferguson signed him from Sporting Lisbon six years ago, with Nani swaying between the virtuoso and the brainless.

He has just a year left on his Old Trafford contract, meaning David Moyes may wish to cash in now rather than offer him a new contract, in which he is likely to demand a pay rise on what he is currently earning.

Monaco have already spent over £100m this summer, with the £55m signing of Falcao grabbing the headlines, and despite the implementations of Uefa’s Financial Fair Play as well as bringing in too many new faces into a squad at the same time, it is believed that Monaco are interested in the move.

Nani was sent off in Manchester United's Champions League first round second leg tie against Real Madrid, prompting speculation over his future with the club (PA)

United are believed to want £13m for Nani, although there is no rush to sell with the club already having a hefty transfer budget and the Red Devils hierarchy willing to give Moyes time to analyse the squad before any decisions are made.

Nani was signed for around £22m in 2007, and has made 212 appearances for the Premier League champions, scoring on 40 goals.