Manchester United are believed to be lining up a £30 million bid for Athletico Madrid superstar Sergio Aguero.

The Red Devils have been monitoring Aguero for some time, and their scouts saw the frontman score in Argentina's 3-2 victory in Russia.

Sir Alex Ferguson had previously stated that his summer business was over, but the Old Trafford side will struggle to cover the goals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez without the addition of another striker the calibre of Aguero.

Athletico are believed to want around £45 million for the striker, a probable stumbling block for the 21-year-old striker who scored 17 goals in La Liga last year.

United don't have an issue with cash however, after the £80 million sale of Ronaldo earlier in the summer. Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan are also interested in the player known as 'Kun' Aguero.

Football transfer rumours: Agüero to Manchester United

Not long now. Having spent the thick end of £100m drafting in a dizzying array of the best footballing talent that money can buy and West Ham midfielder Luis Jiménez, the Rumour Mill has finally assembled its fantasy football squad for the forthcoming season. With just one sleep to go until the Premier League kicks off, now is the time for relentless, completely unnecessary fretting and tinkering. How many left-wingers is too many? Is our team's name amusing enough? Pink and white stripes or hoops? One of the listeners to our podcast was good enough to set up a Football Weekly fantasy league for the forthcoming season, so feel free to fritter away your Friday getting involved here (you'll need this code: 178628-47553). All are welcome – the more the merrier.

Meanwhile back in what passes for the reality of the Premier League, The Sun reveals that Sir Alex Ferguson sent his chief scouts to watch the "£30m-rated Argie hitman" Sergio Agüero during the week. Although this conjures up images of grown men wearing beige knee-length shorts, shirts complete with firewood-collecting proficiency badges and neckerchiefs fastened with woggles making notes on the technique of an unshaven South American assassin hunkered behind a window in a bell tower, the truth is less surreal. Fergie's spies watched the man they call Kun score in Argentina's 3-2 midweek win over Russia and probably concluded what the dogs on the street have been barking for years: yes, the boy's a bit special and yes, it's unfair to presume that he only gets picked for his country because he's sleeping with the manager's daughter.

The Everton defender Joleon Lescott is definitely not going to Manchester City, although that state of affairs may have changed by the time you reach the end of this sentence. Well? It's inevitable, isn't it? Not least because Mark Hughes has taken to standing outside Goodison Park holding a big bundle of giant cue-cards with increasingly large numbers written on them and will keep peeling them off one at a time, like Bob Dylan in the video for Subterranean Homesick Blues, until David Moyes finally caves in. Moyes may relent sooner rather than later (well, a Rumour Mill can dream), not least if Newcastle accept his £8m bid for Steven Taylor, who would go some way towards filling the Lescott-shaped hole that will almost certainly be left in the Everton defence and Goodison Park exit door once the "wantaway" defender is given permission to move to Eastlands.

Taylor isn't the only Newcastle player set to leave the club before the transfer window in the coming days, as both Wolves and Fulham have acknowledged their need for an injury-prone winger who's not quite as good as he used to be and are courting Damien Duff accordingly. Should the Irishman end up at Craven Cottage, he could find himself pinging balls on to the head of his former Newcastle team-mate Mark Viduka, assuming Fulham's physio allows them to play Pro-Evo in the treatment room. Meanwhile at Hull City, Phil Brown is courting the £12m-rated Real Madrid striker Alvaro Negredo. "There are times when you think it's 95% certain and then something happens and it's 50-50 again," said Brown of his forays into the transfer market. Translation: "There are times when you think it's 95% and then the player in question arrives in Hull and sees what it's like."

The Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martínez won't let a minor triviality such as the heart problem that turned up in Mohamed Diame's medical preclude him from signing the French midfielder from from Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, while in Sunderland Steve Bruce is considering a move for the bookish Arsenal centre-half Philippe Senderos.

Meanwhile in Spain, Real Madrid are considering offering £30m and a job-lot of Dutchmen (well, any two from Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben) to Bayern Munich in exchange for Franck Ribéry, while closer to home, the Reading manager Brendan Rodgers is accosting passers-by on the street to tell them that Mick McCarthy's Wolves are still "in talks" with midfielder James Harper, presumably about a move to Molineux ... although it may be about amusing monikers and formations for their fantasy football teams.

Manchester United To Tempt Sergio Aguero From Atletico Madrid - Report

Premier League champions Manchester United are set to re-ignite their interest in Argentine wonder kid Sergio Aguero, and reports suggest that they will test Atletico Madrid’s resolve with a substantial bid.

The 21-year old had another successful season in La Liga with Los Colchoneros, partnering Diego Forlan in attack for the Champions League qualifiers, and has been previously been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

The English side have cash to burn following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, and The Sunday Express comments that Sir Alex Ferguson will look to the young striker as he builds his side for defending their league crown.

A bid of around €41m is expected from Old Trafford, despite Atletico frequently insisting that Aguero is not for sale at any price, but Ferguson sees Aguero as a direct replacement to Carlos Tevez and wants to boost his striking options.

The Red Devils are also interested in Valencia winger David Silva, who has also been linked with rivals Liverpool, and it is believed that an offer of around €29m would be sufficient to commence negotiations with Los Che over a possible transfer.

Debate: Should Manchester United Target Sergio Aguero Leave Atletico Madrid?

Sergio Aguero did in two seasons what Fernando Torres failed to do in six. Aguero came close to doing in two seasons what Torres couldn't do in five. While Torres thought that the best way to enhance his career was to make a move away from the Calderon, Aguero thought that the best way to enhance his career was to make a move to the Calderon.

Fernando Torres might have been and still be the blue-eyed boy of Atletico Madrid but Torres could never lead them to the Champions League, described by one columnist as Atletico’s “Promised Land”. Hell, he could never score 20 goals in a league season and would often raise his tally (like Valencia’s David Villa) from penalties.

Aguero took just two seasons to sear Atleti back to Europe's top tier club competition and only in his second season at the Calderon scored 19 goals. In 2007-2008 it was the then 20-year-old who almost single-handedly dragged El Pupas to European Cup football after 11 heavily limping years away from the continent's elite, and although last season Aguero had a disappointing campaign by his own standards, 17 goals and 9 assists in the league and 3 strikes in the Champions League are not exactly stuff that would brand him a Class C striker.

Better Than Lionel Messi?

Diego Armando Maradona's son-in-law's stock has risen so much in the last two seasons that Premier League champions and European heavyweights Manchester United are (reportedly) seriously contemplating a bid for the player. Aguero, though, has persistently insisted that he is not thinking of leaving Atleti anytime soon, but as many Atletico fans dread, just like El Nino, El Kun too could be forced to leave the Calderon to ‘enhance his career’.

And just like Fernando Torres, Aguero has no shortage of admirers. In Spain both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have been linked with the player, with Aguero himself admitting that he would like to play with Lionel Messi at some point in his club career; both the Milan sides - Inter and AC- are keen admirers of the prodigious talent and in England Chelsea and Manchester United would require no second invitation to sign perhaps the most talented 21-year-old striker in the world.

Sergio Aguero is a player whom Jorge Valdano would like to describe as 'culo bajo', stocky or low-arsed. One columnist enthused that Aguero is "a talent that could surpass Messi's if only because the new kid on the block is a better finisher" while there is a universal belief - or at least among those who bother to watch the second most entertaining side in Europe week in week out, a side that once ended a game 6-3 and that score goals at canter and concede them with equal ease- that Aguero is the closest thing to a Romario, with his sudden shaking off players in the opposition penalty area and taking the shot without seemingly even interested to do so.

Young And Ambitious

At 21 Sergio Aguero is discernibly young and ambitious and would love to win anything and everything; and at Atletico chances of doing that are slim. With Barcelona asserting themselves as the best team in Europe and Real Madrid making expensive summer signings to usurp the throne, La Liga is now going to be a battle between the old duo. Although Atleti do have the unpredictability to make it through in the European Cup, their defensive frailties are all too obvious.

Aguero's technical ability, unalloyed talent, burst of speed, keen eye for goal, physical strength and mobility would see him succeed in any league he plays and for whichever club, if given the right service from the midfield and played to his strengths. Which is why the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in getting the prized signature of El Kun.

Achieving Maradona-esque Greatness

Yet, the reasons for Aguero not leaving Atleti are apparent. This is a World Cup year and Aguero is already well settled at the Calderon. Moving to a new league or even a new club in Spain would imply adapting and fighting for a place in the starting xi, which the 21-year-old does not have to do at Atletico. Moreover, at Atletico Aguero doesn’t confront the same pressure he would have to face elsewhere; at Man United, Barcelona or Inter Milan, the pressure to win all the time can be dreadfully submersing but at Atletico a top four finish in the league is a marvel.

Then there's the Atleti fans, who worship him and have embraced him as their Messiah.

But perhaps most importantly there's the Maradona syndrome. El Diego might be an all-time favourite of Boca Juniors and Barcelona but his best years were at Napoli, whom he single-handedly revived and seared to glory. At Barcelona Maradona might have entertained the crowd and done all his tricks but in two years at Camp Nou he didn’t win anything major. It was at Napoli and in a more tactical and at the time more difficult league (Serie A) that Maradona became what he is, at least in club football.

Aguero has long been 'cursed' with the New Maradona label but if indeed he wants to displace El Diego as arguably the greatest player in football history, he would find no better place than Atletico, a club that hasn't won the league since 1996, a club that almost desperately but helplessly want to win it. If Aguero can lead Atletico to a title triumph against the odds, then he would become the Spanish club's very own Maradona.

Playing among the best at Man United, Inter or maybe even Barcelona would win Aguero trophies but the 'greatest of greatness' lies in winning trophies for a club that cannot do so.

And Atletico, at least at the moment, cannot win any trophies. Except the Copa del Rey. Perhaps.

No Manchester United offer for Aguero

Manchester United Football Club have not made an offer for Sergio Aguero.

The Argentine striker has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer, as United look to spend some of the £80million received from Cristiano Ronaldo’s sale.

It has been suggested that the Reds had offered £30million plus Portuguese winger Nani for Aguero, but this is news to Atletico president Enrique Cerezo.

“Manchester United has not made any offers for 'Kun' [Aguero] - and we will not sell any player," Cerezo told Marca. “We don't want to sell any of our players.”

Manchester United target Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero

Manchester United have targeted Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero and are plotting a player-plus-cash offer for the Argentine sensation.

United chief Sir Alex Ferguson is looking for more fire-power up front following the departures of Cristaino Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, despite the arrival of Michael Owen.

And South American ace Aguero, the 21-year-old son-in-law of Diego Maradona, is a possible option with Atletico ready to sell - if the price is right.

United intermediaries have approached Atletico to see if they would be interested in a deal worth £30million plus Portuguese winger Nani.

Another option that might make the Madrid outfit more interested, would see a payment of £18m plus Dimitar Berbatov, who had an underwhelming first season at Old Trafford after his arrival from Spurs.

But selling Berbatov would only decrease the striking options available to Fergie, who would then also have to go looking for a big man, with Real Madrid’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar seemingly more likely to join either Stuttgart or Marseilles.

So far, Atletico are still holding out for the full £52million valuation written into Aguero’s release clause following his £16m signing from Independiete three years ago.

Aguero’s personal terms might also be a problem, with the Argentine understood to want somewhere in the region of £200,000 per week, which would destroy the Old Trafford pay structure and make him the biggest earner by far.

United will not even consider such a salary but are aware that it would be an opening gambit by the player and his representatives, taking advantage of the instability caused by Real Madrid and Manchester City.

More pertinently, United are aware that despite claims to the contrary, Atletico are ready to do business and that it is a matter of price alone, which opens up the opportunity of landing their man.