Manchester United were on the verge of taking their summer spending to almost £60 million last night as Luke Shaw prepared to join Ander Herrera after a frenetic day at Old Trafford.

Just hours after United formally announced the signing of Herrera, the Spanish midfielder, from Athletic Bilbao in a £28.8 million deal yesterday, Shaw, the England left back, was due to undergo a medical with a view to officially completing a £27 million move from Southampton today.

The fee, which could rise to about £31 million depending on the 18-year-old’s success at the club, is expected to make him the most expensive teenager in football history.

There were also widespread reports in Italy yesterday that United are also preparing a move for Arturo Vidal,