Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is reportedly keen for the club to back him in a move for Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez, according to the Daily Mirror.
The 21-year-old is said to have a £56million release clause installed in his contract and is wanted by The Special One to help boost his defensive numbers at Old Trafford.
However, he is not alone in his admiration, as the report states that a host of top European clubs are also believed to be monitoring the Uruguayan’s situation.
And it is also thought to be unlikely that he will be able to complete such a swoop during the upcoming January transfer window, and may have to until the summer before he can make his move.
Mourinho will likely need to dip into the transfer market in the new year, though, to fish for defensive numbers after £30m summer signing Eric Bailly was ruled out for two months with a knee problem.
This means that Mourinho will probably be forced to further rely on utility man Daley Blind to continue his role in the heart of the defence alongside England international Chris Smalling.
With doubts over Marcos Rojo’s ability at centre-back or at left-back once again coming to the fore, and ongoing injury concerns over Phil Jones, Mourinho hasn’t been left with much choice.
United spent heavily over the summer, bringing in the likes of, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer, to boost his midfield and attack, but his defence has been left light on numbers.
Gimenez joined Atletico from Danubio in his homeland back in 2013 and has made himself a staple of Diego Simeone’s first team plans over the past two seasons.
During his time at the Vicente Calderon he has chalked up a total of 67 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals in the process. His form at club level has also seen him become a key part of the Uruguayan national team, and to date he has 21 caps under his belt.
United aren’t the first Premier League club to have been linked with Gimenez in the press, as Arsenal were reportedly interested in bringing him on board over the summer.
That report stated that Atleti were demanding at least £40m for the youngster during the off season, but if the reports of interest from multiple clubs is true then they won’t have to budge on the price until an interested party activates his release clause.