Manchester United 'interested' in two shock Championship players

Manchester United have already identified their first three transfer targets of the Michael Carrick era.

Back in January, former United player Carrick took charge in the Old Trafford dugout as he took interim charge of the club after Ruben Amorim was sacked.

Since then, the 44-year-old has led his former club to a spectacular end to the season that led to them finishing third, securing Champions League qualification.

Overall, Carrick has won 11 of his 16 matches in charge and was recently named on a six-man shortlist for the Premier League's manager of the season award.

It therefore came as no surprise that United have confirmed the appointment of Carrick as their permanent head coach on a two-year contract.

And it appears that he is wasting no time in securing the first big signings of his reign in charge, with Atalanta midfielder Ederson ready to become the first signing of the Carrick era

According to the Daily Mail, negotiations are currently under way over a deal worth around £38.8million, with the Brazilian said to be eager to make the move after United sent a delegation in Italy last week for discussions regarding Ederson and other targets.

It has widely been reported that United will sign several midfielders over the summer, with the likes of Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Carlos Baleba, Aurelien Tchouameni and Elliot Anderson all linked.

However, as it stands Ederson is the closest to securing the move, with the financial costs required to sign the other targets meaning the club will take more time to evaluate their options.

Two championship stars linked with Manchester United move

But that doesn't mean that United are sitting idly as the club are also reportedly exploring deals in England for players currently playing in the second tier.

The Mail claims that among the top targets for United at the minute is Southampton midfielder Shea Charles following his pivotal role in helping his side make the Championship play-offs this season.

The 25million rated midfielder was signed for Southampton under United's director of football Jason Wilcox, joining from Manchester City where he played throughout his youth career.

Leicester City centre back Ben Nelson, who has been previously linked ti both City and Chelsea, is another player on United's radar as the 6ft 5in tall 22-year-old is believed to be capable of also covering left back.

Although neither Charles and Nelson would be signed as immediate first-team starters, the report claims they are viewed as young players that could provide greater squad depth in the short term with the potential of breaking into the team later in their careers.