Manchester United are believed to be in the market for a centre-back in the summer transfer window.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side tightened up at the back with the arrival of club captain Harry Maguire in a world record transfer in the summer of 2019.
But they are now looking to push on to the next level with hopes of upgrading on Victor Lindelof to find a more balanced and stronger partnership at the heart of defence.
Several names have been linked with the Red Devils ahead of the summer with reports claiming Harry Maguire has communicated his preference.
An old target of Sir Alex Ferguson is also on the radar with United having no shortage of options on their extensive shortlist.
Here’s a run down of the eight main contenders linked with a move to Old Trafford to bolster Solskjaer’s defence.
Ben White
Ben White has been linked with Manchester United for a number of months - and it has been claimed he is Harry Maguire’s choice.
The ball-playing defender, 23, impressed on loan at Leeds United last season to catch the eye of top clubs.
He returned to parent club Brighton last summer and has been a key figure under Graham Potter.
According to The Transfer Window podcast, Maguire has told Solskjaer that White is the sort of player he wants to play alongside.
He is said to believe White will complement his game as well as being keen on the fact he is English speaking.
But White would not come cheap, with a £50m price tag slapped on his head after he recently penned a new long-term contract on the south coast.
Raphael Varane
Manchester United’s interest in Raphael Varane dates back to the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
“I hurtled down on the train from Euston to Lille to sign the young French defender Raphael Varane,” Ferguson wrote in his 2015 book Leading.
“David Gill was getting into the finer points of the contract with Lens when Zinedine Zidane got wind of this and somehow scooped him up for Real Madrid from under our noses.”
Whilst they missed out on a teenage Varane and instead signed Phil Jones, United could now get their chance over a decade later.
The Frenchman is out of contract at Real Madrid next summer and is again being linked with Old Trafford.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Real Madrid are open to selling Varane to United and would be keen to get a fee.
But he could still choose to sign a new deal and stay at the Bernabeu with United waiting patiently for the situation to unfold.
Jules Kounde
Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde was part of the team that knocked Manchester United out of the Europa League last season.
He is now on Solskjaer’s radar having continued to impress in LaLiga this season.
The 22-year-old, who joined Sevilla from Bordeaux in 2019, is attracting plenty of interest around Europe.
But the latest reports suggest United have cooled their interest having been put off by Sevilla looking for a fee of around £60million.
Ibrahima Konate
Dayot Upamecano will not be joining Manchester United after agreeing a deal with Bayern Munich.
But his RB Leipzig team-mate Ibrahima Konate could instead head to Old Trafford.
The Independent claimed last month that the 21-year-old had become United’s main centre-back target ahead of the summer.
Konate has won 11 caps for France Under 21s and been linked with both Liverpool and Chelsea.
Pau Torres
Manchester United are also looking into Villarreal defender Pau Torres, according to the Manchester Evening News.
The 24-year-old is attracting growing interest with Manchester City also keen, but United more likely to make a move.
Torres’ ability as a natural left-footer could make him a contender to partner Maguire, and the 7-cap Spain international would be a long-term option.
He has a £56million release clause but could be signed for less if his club fail to qualify for Europe.
David Carmo
Braga defender David Carmo was named on a four-man shortlist by ESPN earlier this year.
The 21-year-old has been in impressive form for the Portuguese club and caught the eye.
But his hopes of a move may have been derailed after he suffered a horrific broken leg last month.
Carmo had to be removed from the field by ambulance and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines which could mean a summer move is put on the back burner.
Edmond Tapsoba
Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba has emerged as a new name on United’s shortlist.
According to the Express, the Red Devils received a tip-of from a well-respected figure in Germany and have been scouting the 22-year-old.
Tapsoba was still playing in Burkina Faso in 2017 but has emerged as a promising talent in the Bundesliga in the past year.
He had a release clause in the region of £44m in his previous deal but recently signed a new deal until 2026, which is likely to include an inflated clause.
Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos has been one of the world’s top defenders at Real Madrid - but he could now finally head to the Premier League.
Talks over a new deal have collapsed at the Bernabeu and he could now try a new challenge in the Premier League.
United have been linked with a cut-price move and he could be a short-term option alongside Maguire.
Thiago Silva has come in and been a hit at Chelsea and Ramos, 34, could bring plenty of experience to the table after a glittering career.
However, even at 34 he will expect to earn more than £200,000 a week - and turned down a new two-year deal at Real when he was asked to take a 10 percent pay cut.
Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.
