According to reports in the Daily Mail, Manchester United have been dealt a blow in their attempts to sign £60m-rated AS Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan after the Serie A side’s new sporting director Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo said he is staying with the club.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Daily Mail says the 29-year-old Belgium international has been linked with a number of clubs this summer – including the Red Devils, Chelsea and Inter Milan – but Verdejo has confirmed that the midfielder looks set to stay in the Italian capital.

United manager Jose Mourinho has been keen to sign a new central midfielder all summer, and he looks set to have to find a new transfer target with moves for Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier looking unlikely, according to the Daily Mail.

However, it doesn’t look as though the answer to his problem will be Nainggolan.

What did Verdejo say?

The Spaniard only took up the role at Roma after leaving Sevilla earlier in the summer, but he was questioned about Nainggolan’s future on Saturday during the unveiling of new signing Maxime Gonalons.

He told asroma.com when questioned about Nainggolan: “Yes [he will stay]. I think we’ve seen the last of the big departures from our club.

"Now it’s time to build a team, which will be supplemented with potential purchases in the transfer market.”

How did Nainggolan do last season?

The 29-year-old was once again an influential figure in the middle of the park for the Serie A giants, and he ended the campaign with 14 goals and seven assists in 53 appearances in all competitions after often being deployed in a more attacking role.

However, while he was a threat going forward the Belgian is also able to do his job defensively too, and as well as making 37 interceptions in 37 Serie A outings, he is tenacious and also loves a tackle.

Would he be a good signing for United?

He certainly would be.

The Belgian is a consistent performer who brings a lot of the quality to the midfield area, and he could also bring a goalscoring and creative threat too – something that the Red Devils were missing at times last season.

Is the deal definitely dead?

Well, Mourinho still needs to sign a midfielder this summer and if he fails to sign any other targets, he could easily switch his attentions to a big-money £60m move for the Belgian.

However, Roma certainly don’t appear to be in any mood to sell.

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