Could there be new faces at Old Trafford in January?
Thursday 20 December 2018 14:17, UK
Manchester United will back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a £50m transfer budget in January, according to reports, so who could they target?
The Daily Mirror say United are prioritising a new centre-back and a new right-sided midfielder as they bid to turn their season around following Jose Mourinho's departure.
Here, we take a look at the later transfer gossip and round up their potential transfer targets.
It is hardly surprising that Manchester United are interested in bolstering a central defence given their issues at the back this season. In 17 Premier League games under Mourinho, they have conceded 29 goals - one more than 19th-placed Huddersfield.
Reports suggest they are keen on Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, but Chelsea have previously had a £58m bid rejected and, according to the Daily Telegraph, United believe they would have to part with as much as £90m to sign the Senegal international.
Porto's Eder Militao is reportedly viewed as a more realistic option. The 20-year-old Porto defender does not possess the same level of experience as the 27-year-old Koulibaly, but the Telegraph say United have already discussed a £40m fee for the Brazilian.
Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld is another possibility. Mourinho was eager to sign the Dutchman during the summer but the United hierarchy were reluctant to spend big money on a player approaching his 30th birthday. Could their current plight convince them to change their minds? According to the Daily Mirror, he could be available for £30m next month.
Ozan Kabak is another more youthful option. According to the Daily Mail, the 18-year-old Galatasaray defender is being chased by a number of top European clubs. The Turkish side value Kabak at around £20m but he has a £6.7m release clause.
The Mirror identifies Brazil international Douglas Costa as the main candidate to bolster United's right flank.
Juventus paid £35m to sign Costa from Bayern Munich in the summer following a successful season on loan, but this year he has fallen out of favour, making just four starts in all competitions, throwing his future with the Italian giants into doubt.
The Sun have mooted James Rodriguez as another potential target. The Colombian, who can play on either flank or at No 10, is approaching the end of his two-year loan with Bayern Munich from Real Madrid.
United have previously been linked with Borussia Dortmund's Christian Pulisic, another in-demand right-sided midfielder, but the other route to go down would be to try to get more from the attacking players they already have in their squad and promote more players from the youth ranks.
Could Manchester United be tempted to join the chase for Paris Saint-Germain's Adrien Rabiot? The central midfielder's contract expires in the summer and his agent has confirmed that he intends to depart, with Barcelona among his suitors.
United have also been linked with Dortmund's Axel Witsel, with reports in Belgium saying Mourinho travelled to Brussels to watch the midfielder in action for his country against Iceland in the Nations League last month.
Gareth Bale's name is another which continues to pop up in connection with United, while the club were also believed to be interested in Willian, Marco Arnautovic, Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic during the summer. Could they revisit one of those targets next month?
One lesser-known player being monitored by United is Reading's highly-rated 15-year-old goalkeeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke, who impressed for their U23s against Manchester United's U23s last Sunday.
