Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Man Utd transfer news: Scouts tell Ed Woodward the NINE players to sign - read full list
MANCHESTER UNITED'S transfer wish-list of nine centre-backs has been revealed.
Jose Mourinho reveals concerns for Manchester United
United's scouting department have been looking at options to improve the defence of months.
And the Sunday Times have today published the full list of centre-back options on the club's radar.
The list was drawn up by United's vast scouting network and was given to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and boss Jose Mourinho.
Harry Maguire, who is now the club's top target, was one of two Premier League players on the shortlist. Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld also featured but the Times say he was one of the least desirable options.
A host of experienced campaigners with bags of Champions League experience were also among the options.
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng (aged 29), Raphael Varane of Real Madrid (25) and Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli (27) were all options too.
In fact, Koulibaly was one of three Serie A defenders on the nine-man list. It also included AC Milan's Alessio Romagnoli, a 23-year-old Italian rated as one of the best young defenders on the planet, and Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar, also 23, from Slovakia.
Jose Gimenez of Atletico Madrid and Freiburg's Caglar Soyuncu, a Turkish international, were also among the options.
Boss Mourinho has five centre-backs on the United books - Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof and Marcos Rojo - but he is said to have doubts over all of them.
The nine defenders recommended by the scouts:
Harry Maguire
Jerome Boateng
Raphael Varane
Toby Alderweireld
Alessio Romagnoli
Milan Skriniar
Jose Gimenez
Caglar Soyuncu
Kalidou Koulibaly