Manchester United are expected to try and finalise a permanent deal for Amad Traore next year.
United have been working on a move for Atalanta winger Traore, 18, but encountered issues in arranging a visa. Traore was reportedly due to join Parma on loan but they have just recruited winger Valentin Mihaila and Traore is now expected to stay at Atalanta until January.
The MEN understands United are still optimistic of signing Traore and are continuing discussions in an attempt to conclude a deal in the January transfer window to leave then or in the summer. Traore was an unused substitute in Atalanta's 5-2 win over Cagliari on Sunday and also on the bench in their Serie A wins against Torino and Lazio.
United partly moved for Traore this summer before new criteria is drafted up for Premier League clubs to sign 18 to 21-year-old foreign talent post-Brexit.
Under the UK’s European Union membership, clubs could sign a scholar or professional with an EU passport over the age of 16. The UK left the EU via the withdrawal agreement on January 31 but still follows EU rules as part of the transition period, which ends on January 31.
Atalanta sold Traore's Under-19 teammate, Dejan Kulusevski, to Juventus for £29.7m last year and Atalanta's academy has been described as 'the best' in Italy. Kulusevski spent last season on loan at Parma and Italian sources have warned Traore will not be cheap despite his playing time in Serie A amounting to just 30 minutes.
Traore became the youngest player, at 17 years and 109 days old, to score on his Serie A debut in Atalanta's 7-1 thrashing of Udinese last term and travelled with the squad to Lisbon for their Champions League quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last month.
