MANCHESTER UNITED TRANSFER RUMOURS: Sneijder, Kagawa, Modric, Cisse, Baines Involved In Latest Speculation

Manchester United's search for a creative midfielder appears to finally be at a close with various reports on Wednesday stating that Borussia Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa will be arriving at Old Trafford imminently. BBC Sport claims that the deal will be worth an initial £12 million, potentially rising to £17 million based on performance-related factors.

It is now ikely that only personal terms remain to be agreed.

Some details are to be confirmed, revealed Dortmund director Michael Zorc.

Those terms should not be a problem, however, with Kagawa thought to be earning no more than €1 million a year at the Westfalenstadion.

United's search for a player capable of providing the creativity and goals from midfield long supplied by Paul Scholes has been both long and thorough. It was thought that boss Sir Alex Ferguson had got his man a year ago when a deal for Wesley Sneijder looked imminent. But the transfer would eventually fall through over financial terms.

It is certainly in keeping with United's strategy that they have instead brought in someone younger and less expensive.

With Sneijder now surely destined never to pull on the red of United, it has emerged that he could instead be seen in the blue of rivals City next season.

The Daily Mail quotes reports in Italy claiming that after missing out on Eden Hazard, City is prepared to pay the £30 million to take the Dutchman away from Inter.

Despite the impending arrival of Kagawa, the Mail also alleges that United retain a string interest in playmaker Luka Modric. The report claims that the Red Devils hope to negotiate down Tottenham's rumored £35 million asking price for the Croatian.

The deal for Kagawa would not necessarily rule out a move for Modric in a playing sense, with the latter proving that he is capable of operating as a conventional central midfielder in the Premier League. But there must be serious doubts as to whether the United hierarchy would sanction the outlay for Modric, particularly with a new striker and left-back also thought to be on the shopping list this summer.

Indeed, there has been further speculation about United's recruitment in those two areas.

Leighton Baines has been linked as a long-term replacement for Patrice Evra of late and the Everton left-back was asked about the rumors, while on duty with England.

The United link is flattering, Baines said, according to the Guardian. There is no harm in people talking about it because it is a great club. But I'm at a great club as well, a club that I love.

Would it be hard to turn United down? I'm not letting my focus shift to that while I am in camp. I'm focused on what I'm doing at the moment.

United has also been linked to Newcastle's Demba Ba of late as the club looks to compensate for the departure of Michael Owen and expected exit of Dimitar Berbatov. But it is Ba's teammate Papiss Cisse who is the focus of speculation in the Mirror on Wednesday.

Cisse, 26, has been a revelation since arriving from Freiburg in January; scoring 13 goals in just 14 Premier League appearances. And the report claims that both United and neighbors City are interested in bringing him to Manchester this summer.