Manchester United Transfer Rumours: Modric, De Marcos, Nastasic, Petrucci All Involved In Recent News

Reports on Thursday have suggested that Luka Modric will be the target of a £40 million ($64m) offer from Manchester United this summer, according to the Daily Star.

The Tottenham midfielder was reportedly the subject of interest from United last summer before attention switched to trying to secure Wesley Sneijder. With that deal never coming to fruition amid the Dutchman's high wage demands, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson brought Paul Scholes out of retirement in January.

While Ferguson turned his attentions elsewhere, it seemed certain that Modric would instead move to Chelsea, who tabled a series of bids for the Croation playmaker, But Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy held firm and kept to his promise of keeping Modric at White Hart Lane.

And though Modric has performed well for Spurs this season, he has yet to commit his future to the club by signing a new deal.

If Tottenham continue their faltering form and fail to qualify for the Champions League then Modric is likely to be knocking on the door asking for a move away once more.

More than Sneijder, who has been linked in recent times with a renewed bid from United, Modric always appeared the better fit for the Red Devils. Where Sneijder would drift into many of the same areas that Wayne Rooney occupies at his best, Modric could sit deeper and be the creative lynchpin that will be missed in Scholes' absence.

It is not just Modric who is being speculated as the man to join the ranks of United's midfield. Athletic Bilbao's versatile midfielder Oscar de Marcos has been mentioned as a target ever since impressing as his club knocked United out of the Europa League last month.

The Daily Mirror is now reporting that Ferguson is sending a scout to watch the 22-year-old in action in the first-leg of Bilbao's Europa League semi-final against Sporting Lisbon on Thursday.

In other news, it has been reported by Italian website Calciomercato that young Serbian defender Matija Nastasic was the subject of a bid from United in January, according to the Manchester United official website.

The bid was reputedly rejected by Nastasic's club Fiorentina, although it would not be a surprise if United renew their interest in the 19-year-old, who made his debut for Serbia earlier this year, come the summer.

One young player who United appear determined to keep at Old Trafford is Davide Petrucci. The 20-year-old captain of United's reserves, whose contract expires in the summer, has agreed terms on a new three-year deal according to the Daily Mirror.