Manchester United have clinched the signing of Ezequiel Garay after agreeing a fee with Portuguese club Benfica.
United have been linked with a move for the former Real Madrid defender for quite a while now, with Sir Alex Ferguson sending scouts on numerous occasions to check on the Argentine international.
Having been convinced about the 26-year-old's quality, United have made their move, agreeing a €20 million (£17 million, $26 million) deal, according to both Portuguese newspaper Record and Spanish outlet El Mundo Deportivo.
Real Madrid are going to receive 50 percent of the deal as part of a clause they inserted when they agreed to sell Garay, who was a part of Argentina's 3-0 win over Venezuela in Friday's World Cup qualifier, to Benfica in 2011.
United have been in the market for a central defender all season, with the future of Rio Ferdinand undecided and Nemanja Vidic continually troubled by injuries.
Ferdinand is yet to agree on a new contract with the club, with his current deal set to expire in the summer. While it is still likely that the 34-year-old might yet stay at Old Trafford, if the reports of the signing of Garay turn out to be true, time might be running out for one of Ferdinand or Vidic.
United also have Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, who can play as central defenders, and so the arrival of Garay, who has also been linked with Chelsea and Barcelona in the past, might see a few players leaving Old Trafford in the summer.
The English Premier League champions-elect are also looking to bring in a ball-winning midfielder, with Celtic's Victor Wanyama and Kevin Strootman of PSV Eindhoven the most likely candidates.
Wanyama has refused to sign a new contract with the Scottish champions, and is expected to move in with Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool also reportedly showing an interest.
Strootman recently admitted he would be open to a move to a bigger league, if he thought the team suited him.
So, both players are there for the taking, it just depends on who Ferguson likes; or maybe there is another player or two, who haven't been constantly linked, he is also looking at, before making the final decision.
