MANCHESTER UNITED want to snap up Ivan Rakitic, Kalidou Koulibaly AND Aaron Wan-Bissaka as they seek to bolster their squad this summer, it has been reported.
United are currently riding the crest of the wave generated by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replacing the sacked Jose Mourinho at the helm.
And they will be desperate to maintain their impressive form under the Norwegian as they look to secure Champions League qualification.
Manchester United will be hopeful next season will mark a return to the title race, whether Solskjaer is appointed on a permanent basis or not.
And it appears Ed Woodward is getting set to equip whoever their next manager is with a playing staff capable of competing for glory.
According to talkSPORT2, United have identified their top three transfer targets for the coming summer transfer window.
And they are Barcelona midfielder Rakitic, Napoli centre-back Koulibaly and Crystal Palace full-back Wan-Bissaka.
Ironically, defensive targets were what Mourinho was desperate for last summer – nut United failed to strengthen at the back.
It seems now that the club’s top brass have learned from that lesson and are ready to invest in backline reinforcements.
Barcelona may be open to offloading beaten-World Cup finalist Rakitic in order to balance the books at the end of the season.
The La Liga giants are poised to welcome Frenkie de Jong to Catalonia having tied up a deal for the Ajax ace in January.
And bringing in a sizeable fee for Rakitic would help them to ensure they have enough money to splash going forward.
United are not alone in targeting the Croatia international, with speculation Inter Milan are eager to get him on board.
Koulibaly, meanwhile, has emerged as the frontrunner to be the commanding centre-back United have been longing for.
Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis claimed back in December that Mourinho was desperate to lure Koulibaly to Old Trafford.
And United’s determination to prise him away from the Stadio San Paolo to marshall their defence is enduring.
Napoli will not do business on the cheap, however, with United likely to have to smash the world-record £75m Liverpool spent on Virgil van Dijk in order to get their man.
Woodward will also have to spend some serious cash if United are to beat Premier League rivals Arsenal to Wan-Bissaka.
The right-back has been a revelation at Selhurst Park, forging a reputation as one of the top-flight’s most promising prospects.
And his performances have led Palace to slap a £40m price tag on his head, with United and Arsenal circling.
United already have Antonio Valencia and Diogo Dalot on their books, although the former is out of contract in the summer.
Woodward will be considering his options regarding a permanent managerial appointment too, with Solskjaer now the favourite to take charge.
Solskjaer led United to another win as they beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday night and has edged ahead of fellow candidate Mauricio Pochettino.
Source:www.express.co.uk