MANCHESTER UNITED will reportedly look to Donny van de Beek in their hunt for a new star midfielder this month.
James Maddison has been put forward as a major target for the Red Devils but pulling off a deal for the Leicester ace mid-season appears to be off the table.
But while Leicester are in a strong position to turn down offers for their playmaker, Ajax are described as less steady after dropping out of the Champions League last month – depriving them of major prize money from the latter stages.
According to ESPN, United scouts have put together a strong report on van de Beek, 22, and consider him an ideal fit for the Old Trafford team.
That has reportedly urged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to push executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward towards a January deal for the Dutchman.
Fellow Ajax star Hakim Ziyech is also named as a target but the wide areas are seen as less vital for improvement in the current transfer window.
The Moroccan and van de Beek were part of the same team to reach last season’s Champions League semi-finals.
Real Madrid and Tottenham piqued their interest in the attacking midfielder having been dumped out of the tournament by Ajax.
Now, a bid of 50million is said to be enough to draw the Amsterdam side to the negotiating table.
United boss Solskjaer does not want for funds but is finding it difficult to find the right available player in January.
Wednesday also saw speculation mount that Jadon Sancho, another Red Devils target, will not leave Borussia Dortmund this month.
That was yet another blow after the Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City showed the difference in raw creativity between the rival sides.
Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Andreas Pereira continue to struggle to provide ammunition for the United forward line and the Brazilian midfielder putting through his own net now means he has scored as many goals against his side as for them this season.
