Napoli striker Dries Mertens could be on his way to Old Trafford according to reports coming out of Italy.
TuttomercatoWeb claim that Manchester United are one of many clubs keeping tabs on Mertens, who'll be out of contract next summer and free to discuss potential free transfers from January.
Mertens, who this season overtook Diego Maradona's goalscoring record for Napoli, and is fast closing in on Marek Hamsik's all-time goalscoring record for the club, requested an improved contract. However, this has been turned down by Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis.
His contractual situation also means that should United want to tempt Mertens away from Serie A mid-season, he may be available for a cut-price deal.
United are light on strikers, having failed to replace Romelu Lukaku in the summer, and the attackers they do have in their ranks - Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Daniel James and Mason Greenwood - don't have the experience that Mertens does. At 24, Anthony Martial is currently the oldest of the four.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been linked with a host of other strikers this season, including Erling Braut Haaland, Lyon's Moussa Dembele, and Romelu Lukaku's current strike partner Lautaro Martinez.
However, each of them would involve sizeable investment, and it's unlikely that they'd be available in January.
Mertens' departure would see Napoli's season go from bad to worse. After spending heavily in the summer on players like Hirving Lozano and Kostas Manolas, they have struggled in Serie A, and currently sit in 8th.
Their bad form has led to De Laurentiis sacking manager Carlo Ancelotti, replacing him with Gennaro Gattuso, and publicly falling out with many senior players.
United are not the only club interested in the prolific Belgian. Inter Milan, who have form when it comes to free transfers, are said to be circling, and Borussia Dortmund have also made contact.
Now read...
Kleberson explains how Ronaldinho tricked him into signing for Manchester United ahead of Leeds
Andy Mitten column: How Solskjaer is building his Man United team around Marcus Rashford
Quiz! Can you name every team in the First Division the last time Liverpool won the league (1989/90)?
