Manchester United ready to wait on top target Kevin Strootman

MANCHESTER UNITED may play a waiting game to land Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman. Roma star Strootman, 24 is new United boss Louis van Gaal’s top target.

STROOT-MAN: Kevin Strootman is currently out injured but United want to wait and sign him in January

But he won’t be fit until November after suffering a knee injury which ruled him out of the World Cup.

So United are reluctant to start paying wages of £120,000 a week in the summer.

They would also like to see Strootman prove his fitness, which means he might not arrive at Old Trafford until the January transfer window.

But there is then the fear that Roma may try to increase the proposed £25million fee to £30m.

Roma, meanwhile, are hoping to bank £25m from the sale of another of their players – Mehdi Benatia – to Manchester.

But this time it’s to City who are keen on the left-sided central defender, 27.

City have knocked back an approach from Inter Milan to take striker Stevan Jovetic, 24, on loan.

Inter are also interested in Manchester United’s Portugal winger Nani, 27, and are weighing up a £12m offer.

Benfica are keen on Nani too but he is less than 12 months into a five-year contract and may prefer to try to prove himself under Van Gaal.