MANCHESTER UNITED TRANSFER NEWS: Van Persie, Lucas, Baines, Berbatov Involved in Recent Speculation

Manchester United appear to still have an eye on upgrading their squad this summer.

The Red Devils have been linked to several players in recent days - most notably Robin van Persie.

According to The Times, the Arsenal striker would prefer to play at Old Trafford than for Manchester City and Juventus. Daily Mirror also reported that the Red Devils are the frontrunners for the Dutch star, who has been valued between £30 million and £15 million.

It remains unclear whether the Gunners will part ways with their famed striker, as manager Arsene Wenger and other teammates have publicly expressed their hopes that van Persie will remain at Emirates.

Should van Persie join Sir Alex Ferguson's squad, it would almost certainly mean the departure of Dimitar Berbatov. The 31-year-old Bulgarian has been the subject of months of transfer speculation. Metro recently reported that Galatasaray are in talks with United about the Berbatov, though his valuation is unknown.

While van Persie remains the big fish, the Red Devils have targeted other prominent players. The club has been linked to Lucas Moura for several weeks, and the speculation has not died down. Daily Mail reported that United must increase their bid for the 19-year-old, as Sao Paulo rejected a £29 million offer.

Lucas has already made 15 appearances for Brazil, and is considered among the best available young attacking midfielders on the market. Real Madrid and Chelsea have also expressed interest in Lucas.

Several sources, including The Times, have linked Leighton Baines to Old Trafford. The 27-year-old defender has not received much interest from any other club.

The left back's valuation has ranged from £20 million to £8 million. Baines has been with Everton since 2007 after spending several seasons with Wigan Athletic.

United were heavily linked to Luka Modric this summer, but all signs seem to point to the Croatian midfielder moving to Real Madrid. The Tottenham star's £30 million move to Jose Mourinho's squad may be imminent, according to The Guardian.

Nevertheless, there are high hopes for the Red Devils in 2012-2013. The club hopes to rebound from a season where they failed to collect any silverware, and were stunned by a second-place finish behind local rival Manchester City.

People may say Manchester City are the team to beat but I don't agree,'' said Ferguson, according to ESPN. We are the team to beat because of the way we react and the way we have bounced back from losing the league in the past. We will be strong this season.''