Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho will not stop his summer spending with the signing of Paul Pogba, as a defender remains on the agenda too.
The Portuguese tactician has already moved to bring in Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic this summer as he goes about rebuilding the spine of the team.
However, with Paul Pogba expected to eventually wrap up a deal to move back to Old Trafford, The Sunday Times also claim that Leonardo Bonucci remains a target for the Red Devils and will be pursued after his current team-mate has joined the club.
The Italian international is one of three defensive targets, and he will represent the most expensive option with the report claiming that he is being valued at £60m by the Bianconeri.
Ezequiel Garay and Jose Fonte are reportedly seen as alternatives, according to The Times, and they will certainly be the more attainable options as they will command significantly lower price-tags.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen who the United boss moves for, as ultimately he will want quality over quantity as he looks to mastermind the club’s return to the top of the Premier League this season.
Pogba’s protracted return to Manchester could finally come to an end this week after months of speculation, but the defence is still evidently a concern for Mourinho who will hope to address it between now and the end of the window.
Bonucci would undoubtedly be the ideal choice as the 29-year-old has proven himself to be a world-class operator for both club and country for a number of years now, but whether or not the Red Devils are ready to get into another lengthy negotiation with the Serie A champions remains to be seen.
Mourinho has certainly bolstered the United squad for the better so far this summer, now all that is left is for him to add the final few missing pieces before the campaign gets underway.