Manchester United transfer news: Jose Mourinho will battle Chelsea for Hoffenheim defender Niklas Sule in January
Old Trafford scouts have identified Bundesliga star as man to solve Red Devils' problems at the back
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MANCHESTER UNITED will battle Chelsea for Niklas Sule as Jose Mourinho looks to solve his defensive problems.
Scouts at the club have advised the Red Devils boss to target the Hoffenheim centre-half in January to supply cover for sidelined Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling.
United are searching the market across Europe to try and find the ideal centre back that can go straight in to the first team with the club some 11 points behind Chelsea at the top of the Premier League and eight points off fourth spot.
Mourinho is concerned that the club wont even finish in the top four with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal looking to pull further away.
It may mean that the club's only hope of qualifying for the Champions League will be to win the Europa League which will mean the Portuguese having to use all of his squad, to cope with the demand of playing Thursday-Sunday in the second half of the season.
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United have struggled to find a centre back partnership that works and will now trust their scouts judgement as they look to recruit a player that can stop them shipping goals.
Benfica's Victor Lindelof is also a target for the club with his agent Hakan Cetinkaya claiming that he could leave the Portuguese giants next month.
As far as Sule is concerned the German defender has attracted a host of interest from across Europe including Arsenal and Tottenham, but with both London clubs performing well at the back this season they are unlikely to chase a defender in January.
It leaves the door open for Man United and if the 21 year old can perform for the 20 time league champions like he has in the Bundesliga then it will be a great signing, possibly a season changer.
For now though Mourinho has to guide the club for another month before he can spend again but having thrashed West Ham 4-1 in the EFL Cup on Wednesday confidence should be returning to the red half of Manchester.