Roma refuse to sell Strootman to Man Utd

Roma are adamant that Manchester United target Kevin Strootman is going nowhere.

As revealed by Goal in November, the Dutch midfielder has asked his club to negotiate with the Red Devils over a potential January move, with Louis van Gaal having identified him as a prime target when he first moved to Old Trafford.

A long-term knee injury prevented Van Gaal from making his move in the summer but the Giallorossi’s general manager, Mauro Baldissoni, says that Strootman is at the centre of their plans for the future.

"We haven't received any call from Manchester," he told Sky Sports News. "We are not planning to sell Kevin.

"Kevin is young and he has a long contract. We definitely want to build our team around him."

Strootman understands, however, that United would be willing to treble his current salary, worth £25,000 per week, with a bid set to test Roma’s resolve in January.

The Serie A side lost the advantage of Champions League football as a potential incentive for the midfielder to stay on Wednesday when a 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City dashed their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.