Manchester United have agreed to a deal with Benfica for defender Ezequiel Garay, according to Spanish newspaper Marca. The center-back would be recently appointed United manager David Moyes' second signing of the summer, after Uruguayan right-back Guillermo Varela.
Marca believe that United will pay €20 million for the player, half of which goes to Real Madrid who own 50 percent of his rights. Garay transferred from Madrid to Benfica in July 2011 for €5.5 million with the clause that his ownership rights are split between the two clubs. Marca has gone so far to say that the deal has been sealed, boldly claiming that "Garay [is] already a red devil."
Since his transfer to Lisbon, Garay has been a feature of the club's defence, making 37 appearances in his first season (2011-2012) and 42 in his second (2012-2013). The Argentine has also scored four goals in his Benfica career.
While United fans will be encouraged by the Garay news, center-back is not one of the pressing areas in which the squad needs reinforcement. The center of midfield, however, is in desperate need of freshening following the retirement of Paul Scholes and the uncertainty surrounding the futures of Anderson and Darren Fletcher.
United's Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea has outlined who he feels is the solution to the midfield problems - Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas.
"It would be great if Cesc came here," De Gea told the Metro, amid rumours that the club are after Fabregas. "It would be great to have more Spanish players at Manchester United."
The former Atletico Madrid goal keeper was keen to praise Fabregas' technical ability.
"He's a great player; very skilful, knows how to win things," De Gea said. "You always want those type of players in your team."
After some early criticism, De Gea proved his doubters wrong with an impressive second-half of the season. The player reveals that changes in his diet and heavy lifting have helped him cope with the physical challenges of the Premier League.
"I knew I had to become bigger physically," he explained. "You can see I look different to when I first came here and I have much more muscle. I've worked hard in the gym - lifting heavy weights and doing a lot of exercises."
"It was a very intense regime," he continued. "I changed my diet as well and now eat an awful lot more than I used to, to build myself up for the physical challenges of the English game."
