Manchester United’s Five-Man Shortlist Revealed As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Aims To Fix Defensive Issues

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly eager for Manchester United to snap up a new centre-back in the summer as he aims to rectify his side's leaky defence.

The Red Devils are currently second in the Premier League and have outscored (49) any other side in England's top-flight league this season.

But United have conceded 30 times in 23 matches, with Leeds United being the only team in the top half of the table to have conceded more (38).

ESPN now reports that Sevilla's Jules Kounde, Real Madrid's Raphael Varane, Braga's David Carmo and Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings have all emerged as potential targets for United.

According to the publication, United have also identified RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano as a potential target.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has been linked with both Liverpool and United, but the Red Devils reportedly feel that they could miss out on the target.

ESPN claims that there are 'fears' within United's recruitment team that Bayern Munich have moved one step ahead of them in the race to sign Upamecano.

Solskjaer wants a new centre-back option to pair alongside United skipper Harry Maguire, who arrived from Leicester City in 2019 for a whopping £80m.

The United boss plans to keep hold of Victor Lindelof, but Eric Bailly's long-term future could be in doubt at Old Trafford.

ESPN reports that Solskjaer is an admirer of the 26-year-old Ivorian centre-back, but he has raised concerns about his injury track record.

Varane, 27, will be out of contract in 2022 as uncertainty continues to mount over his future at Los Blancos.

Kounde, 22, was previously linked with Manchester City and has also emerged as a potential target for Liverpool.

Liverpool were also linked with United target Carmo last summer, but the Reds failed to sign the 21-year-old from Braga on deadline day.

ESPN added that United will release funds from their war chest for Solskjaer to spend this summer, but that could change depending on the impact caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

United will plan to reignite their interest in Jadon Sancho this summer, but the Premier League club wants Borussia Dortmund to lower their asking price of £120m.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, Tyrone Mings, red devils, Premier League, Raphael Varane

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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