Manchester United have drawn up a five-man shortlist of midfield targets as they look to further strengthen their squad ahead of the new season.
United have already signed centre-back Leny Yoro from Lille and striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna as they look to bounce back after recording their worst-ever Premier League finish last season.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has now taken full control of football operations and installed a new football executive team, with sporting director Dan Ashworth now leading their recruitment drive. And according to Sky Sports, the club are currently exploring deals for five midfielders.
United have been heavily linked with Manuel Ugarte, but they believe his asking price is too high with Paris Saint-Germain looking to recoup the £51.4million they paid to sign him from Sporting Lisbon last summer.
As a result, moves for Monaco's Youssouf Fofana, Burnley's Sander Berge, Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendia, Palmeiras' Richard Rios and Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat are being considered. Amrabat spent last season on loan at Old Trafford, making 30 appearances across all competitions, and he has stated he would like to stay at United.
Speaking after United's FA Cup final win, he told Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport: "Do I already know what I'm going to do next year? No. We are going to talk. Staying is certainly an option. Look, I think it has been a very difficult season.
"For Manchester United it needs to be much better, and also for me personally. I have always remained calm and trained very hard. Ultimately, that patience has been rewarded. We are going to talk.
"Manchester United are the biggest club in the world, so who wouldn't want to play football here? But all parties have to be happy with each other, so we will sit down now and see what happens."
However, it appears Fofana is United's top option, with the report stating that they have already 'held initial talks' with Monaco over a deal for the 25-year-old. He has been at the club since 2020 and is entering the final year of his contract.
Fofana has also earned 21 caps for France, most recently featuring for Les Bleus at Euro 2024 where they reached the semi-finals before losing 2-1 to eventual champions Spain thanks to goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo.