Manchester United: Top 5 Players Under 23 Linked to the Red Devils in January

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With Sir Alex Ferguson's ability to nurture young talent, it is no surprise that Manchester United has been linked to January moves for some great talent under the age of 23.

The majority of Sir Alex Ferguson's transfer in the last few windows have been 23 years old or younger, signifying that the club is looking to the future more and more.

Here are the top five players under 23 who have been linked to Manchester United in January.

Jores Okore

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Jores Okore, FC Nordsjaelland's 20-year-old central defender, has caught the eye of a number of top clubs.

Sky Sports recently revealed that Manchester United is among the clubs interested in the talented Danish defender, who already has four international appearances.

Okore has been in the spotlight even more this season as his team participate in the Champions League against heavyweights such as Chelsea and Juventus.

A Manchester United move for Okore is a bit dubious, though, considering they have players like Chris Smalling and Phil Jones already next in line as central defenders, but anything can happen.

Wilfried Zaha

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Sir Alex Ferguson has nurtured his fair share of young talent so it's no surprise that Manchester United has been linked (via the Daily Mail) to 20-year-old Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha.

According to Goal.com's Greg Sobert, Manchester United may move for the player in January but formulate a deal that keeps him at his current club until the end of the season.

With other clubs such as as Arsenal and Tottenham reportedly interested, the Red Devils will have a fight on their hands to pick up a player who could be English football's next big talent.

Isco

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Like a lot of his colleagues on this list,  20-year-old Malaga attacking midfielder Isco has attracted a lot of attention in recent seasons.

Isco helped Malaga to a Champions League spot last season with some good play and has continued that this year as the leading man for the Malaga attack.

According to the Daily Star Manchester United is set to battle it out with Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund for his signature.

Victor Wanyama

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As reported by the Daily Mail (h/t to B/R's Dan Talintyre), the Red Devils are interested in Celtic's Victor Wanyama.

The Kenyan midfielder's powerful performance against Barcelona has increased speculation that he could be on the move in January, and United is one of the possible destinations.

His first season in Scotland went well as he immediately established himself as a key figure in the Celtic midfield and his recent performance against the Spanish side only confirmed that.

United could do with a physical, all-action presence in midfield and 21-year-old Wanyama would fit the bill there. He can provide plenty of quality on both ends of the pitch however as he can play in central defense and has picked up 10 goals in his 60 appearances for the club so far.

James Rodriguez

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According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United has been told it will need to make a bid of  £36 million to land Colombian starlet James Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has taken over as the key man for Porto this season since the departure of Hulk and has done a good job of it so far with seven goals and one assist in 12 games.

The 21-year-old Rodriguez can play as an attacking midfielder centrally and on the left and has been rumoured (via the Daily Mirror) to be a replacement for Nani.