Man Utd targeting former Championship star after transfer listing and pre-season brawl

Manchester United are one of two clubs interested in signing a former Championship star this summer, it has been reported.

United have focused most of their transfer priorities on midfield so far this summer, bringing in Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos from Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively.

They triggered a £35 million release clause to sign Tielemans, 29, during the World Cup, while Santos arrives from Chelsea for a total fee of £50 million.

Karl Darlow has also been signed to add further depth to the goalkeeping department after he left bitter rivals Leeds, while young winger Tynan Thompson has joined from Tottenham's academy.

United also agreed a deal to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson last month, but decided to opt out of the move and signed his Brazilian compatriot Santos instead.

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According to Italian newspaper Corriere di Bologna (via Sport Witness), United will return to Serie A for their latest transfer target.

It is reported that they want to sign Bologna winger Jonathan Rowe, who will be allowed to leave the Italian club this summer after they failed to qualify for European football.

They finished in eighth place in Serie A under the management of Vincenzo Italiano, who has been replaced by Domenico Tedesco ahead of the new season.

Despite the change in management, though, Rowe's future looks to lie away from Italian football - just under a year after he joined the club from Marseille.

Man Utd target has been involved in controversial incidents

Rowe signed for the French giants on loan from Norwich in the summer of 2024, before the move was made permanent by their then manager Roberto De Zerbi.

But he was placed on the transfer list following what De Zerbi described as a 'bar fight' with team-mate Adrien Rabiot and sold five days later.

"It was a fight like I've never seen in all my years in football ... I've never seen anything like it," De Zerbi stated. "I come from the streets, I'm used to fights, but I've never seen anything like this."

Earlier this month, with Bologna 3-0 down in a pre-season friendly match, Rowe was victim to a poor challenge from an opponent before he shoved him to the ground.

He then pushed away another player before his team-mates quickly intervened to break up the incident.

Those incidents have not deterred interested clubs, however, with Everton and Aston Villa named as the other clubs who are interested in signing Rowe.

Chelsea were also said to have reportedly made contact with the player's representatives over a potential transfer, but have since signed Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a British record fee of £117 million.