Manchester United are braced for a bid from Real Madrid for David de Gea next month as they gear up for a fight to keep the Spain goalkeeper.
United and Real are both in Los Angeles on their pre-season tours and there is thought that Real could seek to unsettle De Gea ahead of their International Champions Cup match in Santa Clara next Sunday.
The teams are also due to meet in the European Super Cup in Skopje, Macedonia, on August 8, by which point Real may have formalised their interest in De Gea.
United believe they're in a much stronger position to retain De Gea than two summers ago, when he had a year left on his contract only for a £29-million deal to collapse.
De Gea has two years left to run on his current £200000-a-week contract, with the option of another 12 months, and the Red Devils value him at about £60-million.
Old Trafford in Perisic's mind
United are confident 26-year-old De Gea will not agitate for a move and were impressed by his professionalism throughout Real's 2015 courtship.
But he is keen on the idea of joining Real and a return to his home city of Madrid. His camp hope that the Spaniards will not leave a move as late as they did two years ago.
Of more immediate concern to United is their pursuit of Croatia winger Ivan Perisic, 28, who struggled to conceal his dismay that a deal has yet to go through after posing glumly for a picture with the rest of Inter Milan's squad.
United still hope to push through a deal before Inter fly to China on Tuesday but Perisic's agent, Fali Ramadani, met Inter adviser Walter Sabatini this week and was told that the club would not budge from their £48.5-million valuation. That is in part because Inter believe finding a two-footed wide player with similar attributes to Perisic will be so difficult this summer.
Looking for Ibrahimovic 
Both Los Angeles-based Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs are interested in signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic if the Swede decides to end his career outside Europe.
Free agent Ibrahimovic is currently recovering from knee surgery at Manchester United's training ground. United have not ruled out signing the 35-year-old on a short-term contract once he is fit, but LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC are both interested in him.
The Swede has said he will make a "big announcement" about his future soon.
His agent Mino Raiola has previously said the former Sweden forward will stay in Europe while in March LA Galaxy told Ibrahimovic they were willing to make him the highest-paid player in MLS history.
It is understood they haven't changed their view of the player, who scored 28 goals in his debut season for United before rupturing his cruciate knee ligaments against Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht in April.
LA Galaxy coach Curt Onalfo would not comment on the former Paris St-Germain striker when asked about the much-travelled player this week.
Meanwhile, the new Los Angeles FC franchise, which plays its first MLS season next year, may sign a star name before appointing their coach...