Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is preparing to make his very first signing as Manchester United manager, and it could be a welcome one given the club’s struggles in defence this season.
The Red Devils have leaked in 32 Premier League goals in 21 games so far this term, that's 22 more than leaders Liverpool, while the likes of Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Wolves, and Brighton have all conceded less.
In fairness, since Jose Mourinho left United have only let in three goals in five triumphant matches under Solskjaer, however with sterner tests on the horizon - they face both Spurs and Arsenal this month - the Norwegian is unsurprisingly eager to strengthen at the back.
The Sun now states that United are now set to put aside their ambitions to sign Kalidou Koulibaly, for the time being, as they close in on a deal for Roma centre-back Kostas Manolas.
If United are willing to snap the defender up this very window then Roma will force them to splash the cash, otherwise a cut-price deal could be on the cards in the summer when his £30.5million release clause becomes active.
Given that United face a tough task in their pursuit of 4th spot, and with free-scoring PSG coming to town next month, Solskjaer is understandably keen to bolster his backline as soon as possible.
The Greek defender, who famously scored the goal that knocked Barcelona out of last season's Champions League, previously revealed his eagerness to move to a big club last summer:
“It’s only natural you want to play for the biggest clubs, like Barcelona , Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.”
Manolas, formerly of Olympiakos and AEK Athens, switched his homeland for Roma in 2014 and the 27-year-old has since established himself as a pivotal cog in the club’s defence.
Meanwhile, Solskjaer is bidding to become the first manager in Man Utd history to win their opening six matches at the helm when he takes his troops to Spurs on Sunday.
