It looks like Manchester United’s summer spending may not be over just yet.
After the signings of Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and with a move for Paul Pogba inching closer by the day, United manager José Mourinho will look to add an experienced defender and possibly a right-back to his side.
According to The Sunday Times, Mourinho has not been convinced by his defensive options during pre-season and is worried about the lack of experience in his backline, with 26-year-old Chris Smalling currently the most senior centre-back at Old Trafford.
Three central defensive targets have been named by the paper – Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci, Southampton’s José Fonte and Zenit Saint Petersburg’s Ezequiel Garay.
The first name on the list would once again require some tough negotiating with Juventus, would will undoubtedly not appreciate United trying to sign another of their key players. Manchester City are also interested in the Italian international and that would spark a bidding war – something Mourinho might not be so keen on.
Fonte might well be the best option out of the three on the list. The 32-year-old, who started for Portugal in the knockout rounds and played a key role as they went on to win Euro 2016, has plenty of Premier League experience and may well prove to be the best value out of the three targets on the list.
The Saints’ skipper’s contract expires in 2018, but if Mourinho comes calling, the Portuguese connection and the lure of United may prove useful in acquiring his target.
Mourinho may also be in the market for a right-back, with Matteo Darmian having been linked with a move back to Italy. Monaco’s Fabinho has been linked strongly with a move to Old Trafford in recent days and with Jorge Mendes being both Mourinho and Fabinho’s agent, this move may come to fruition.
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