Ralf Rangnick wants to make Amadou Haidara his first signing as Manchester United manager, according to reports.
The Red Devils are poised to appoint Rangnick as their interim head coach until the end of the season.
The club are currently in talks with Lokomotiv Moscow, who currently employ Rangnick as their manager of sports and development.
The German is expected to move into a consultancy role at Old Trafford next summer, when United hope to bring in a permanent boss.
Confirmation of Rangnick's appointment could arrive this weekend, although interim manager Michael Carrick will remain in charge for Sunday's trip to Chelsea.
Rangnick is credited with helping to build the footballing identity of the Red Bull network, which now encompasses clubs in Germany, Austria, the United States and Brazil.
He took over as the sporting director of RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg in 2012 and remained a key part of the operation until last year.
And Rangnick now wants to return to Leipzig to poach Haidara, according to the Daily Mirror.
Rangnick orchestrated the midfielder's move from Red Bull Salzburg to RB Leipzig in 2019.
The Mali international has gone from strength to strength since then and has been a regular part of Jesse Marsch's team this term.
An offer of around £33m could be sufficient to prise Haidara away from Leipzig in January.
The Bundesliga side have demonstrated a willingness to sell key players in the past as long as their asking price is met.
The 23-year-old would be keen on a move to Manchester if his comments from 2019 are anything to go by.
“I like Mancheester United very much and watch as many games as possible. I dream of playing there. ” Haidara told Bild in 2019.
Newcastle have also been linked with the midfielder's signature, but Rangnick will be confident of winning the race for Haidara as long as he is backed by the Manchester United board.
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