Man Utd already know what £34m star is like as Erik ten Hag 'makes transfer inquiry'

Manchester United are reportedly interested in Nottingham Forest star Danilo, who sounds very well-suited to an Erik ten Hag team. The 23-year-old, who arrived in England just last year, quickly cemented himself as a key player in Forest’s team and played a central role in helping the club avoid relegation last season.

His stellar form has reportedly caught the eye of United, according to TNT Sports, who claim the star is rated at £34million. Ten Hag has been vocal about the qualities he likes in his players, emphasising the need for a “great mentality” and the capacity to “perform under stress”.

And fortunately for United, these are attributes Danilo claims to have honed at Palmeiras. Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “What I learned from all the managers was the value of remaining grounded – particularly from Abel Ferreira [who is still head coach of Palmeiras].

“He gave me my opportunity,” Danilo added. “He told us to have cold heads but always warm hearts. He told us to block out the noise and just focus on playing.”

Danilo has demonstrated his ambition by insisting he wants to help Forest emulate the success of clubs like Brighton and Aston Villa by securing a spot in European competitions – something that will be music to the ears of Ten Hag, who, back in May, outlined his criteria for new recruits:

He said: “I think every manager wants players with winning attitudes and a great mentality, big personalities to perform under stress. In this club it’s extremely important to perform under stress.”

This mindset seems to be in perfect harmony with Danilo’s approach, suggesting that United may push ahead with a deal for him if they fail in their attempts to sign PSG’s Manuel Ugarte. Although personal terms with Ugarte have been agreed, United are sticking to their £42.5m valuation, while PSG reportedly hold out for £51m.

The Red Devils have Danilo on their radar as one of several backup options, along with Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, Sander Berge from Burnley, and Youssouf Fofana of AS Monaco.