United Set To Splash Out £50m In Order To Shore Up Porous Defence

Manchester United have set aside £50m for the January transfer window, according to multiple reports in the English media.

The sacking of Jose Mourinho and the appointment of interim coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hasn’t stopped the Red Devils from planning ahead in the transfer market.

Three players have reportedly been identified, with the main priority said to be shoring up a defence which has conceded 29 goals in 17 league games this season.

Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly is believed to be high on United’s list of targets, but with his current club set to demand £90m or more for the centre-back, a move in January looks highly unlikely with the transfer budget available.

The two main alternatives are reportedly Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld and Porto’s Eder Militao. The duo could be available for £30m to £40m each with Alderweireld likely to be the most realistic due to his contract situation.

Spurs have the option to extend his stay for another year beyond the end of his current deal in 2019. However, that would bring into play a £25m release clause next summer, making a sale in January for a higher amount highly probable.