Nicolas Otamendi left out of Valencia kit launch as he looks to force Man Utd move

Nicolas Otamendi has been left out of Valencia’s kit launch as he looks to force a move to Manchester United, Marca report.

The defender, who has apparently told teammates and members of his entourage that he wants a move to United this summer, has been locked in a battle with the Spanish club as he looks to force a move away before Valencia return to pre-season training on July 26.

The 27-year-old centre-back has a hefty release fee of around £40m but United are hoping to knock the price down a fair bit.

But with Valencia proving to be stubborn in their negotiations, the Red Devils have felt the need to employ the serves of super agent Jorge Mendes, who they believe will make the difference.

United struggled to get a consistent pairing at the back last season with Van Gaal raising his concerns at having to chop and change so often.

Louis van Gaal has shown his ruthless side this summer and is seemingly determined to pull out all the stops to solve what was an ongoing problem for him last season.