Manchester United 'had Emerson Palmieri lined up as a Plan B in case Alex Telles move fell through'

Manchester United had reportedly lined up Chelsea outcast Emerson Palmieri as a Plan B option in case they missed out on their first-choice target Alex Telles.

The Red Devils left it to the last minute to conduct the majority of the transfer business, with Telles one of the big names they eventually did get over line, after they agreed to pay Porto £15.4million for the defender.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano's Here We Go podcast, if that deal for the Brazilian fell through, United were ready to make Chelsea an offer for left back Palmieri as they sought much-needed cover for Luke Shaw.

Emerson has struggled to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge having shone at Roma previously.

The Italian full back had been linked with moves back to Italy with Napoli and Juventus both linked with the 26-year-old while West Ham registered their interest.

United fans may be breathing a sigh of relief having got their man, however, with Telles claiming that he is a 'very intelligent player' and a 'set-piece specialist'.

'I like to think of myself as a very intelligent player, a set-piece specialist and I'm always looking for opportunities to create passes to score goals,' he told the club's official website.

'I'm in the best moment of my life in terms of being a versatile player, and obviously coming to play in the Premier League and playing against the opponents I have done already, and playing in a league as strong as the Premier League. I hope to be able to bring my best to the club.

'I look at being a defender in a different way with my goals. I'm looking to create more openings wherever possible but during training I also pay particular attention to set-piece training. Apart from the key basics of being a defender, which is obviously about defending well, I want to have extra aspects to my game so I'm a versatile player.

'I have great beliefs in my defensive capabilities but also in my attacking ability. I'm in the best moment of my career and I believe I've grown a lot, and hopefully I can continue to do so.'

Telles was United's second signing of the summer after acquiring midfielder Donny van de Beek from Ajax in a £40m deal.

Youngsters Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri followed Telles through the door as well as former Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been keen to add to his defensive ranks before the club's humiliating 6-1 defeat by Tottenham last Sunday.

With 13 goals and 12 assists in all competitions last season, Telles' attacking prowess makes him an attractive signing for United and the defender also helped his side keep 20 clean sheets in the Primeira Liga in the 2019-20 campaign.