Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Fabinho, Red Devils Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly hoping to sign a right-back in January, but he will have to give up on his pursuit of Monaco's Fabinho until the summer, as the French side will not part with him before then.

According to the Sun's Richard Forrester, the Ligue 1 outfit look likely to progress to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League—they're top of Group E, two points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen and four in front of Tottenham Hotspur—and as such, they want Fabinho to stay and help them go as far as they can.

The Brazilian is a typical modern full-back—reliable and solid at the back but also able to maraud forward to great effect.

Fabinho is also known for his goalscoring both from open play and the penalty spot. He netted eight times last year and already has seven goals to his name this season, as well as supplying two assists.

Here are some of the highlights from his last campaign:

The 23-year-old is a versatile operator and regularly features as a holding midfielder for Monaco as well.

Indeed, he has almost exclusively played there this season, and football writer Andrew Gibney believes he has excelled in the position:

Spurs found that out when they came up against him in the Champions League earlier this season, per WhoScored.com:

With Fabinho seemingly not an option until the end of the season at the earliest, Forrester reported Mourinho could turn his attentions to Paris Saint-Germain right-back Serge Aurier, who could be available for £18 million.

The Ivorian is no stranger to controversy—in 2016 alone, he has been suspended by PSG after making homophobic comments about former manager Laurent Blanc and former team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was handed a two-month prison sentence for assaulting a police officer and was investigated by FIFA for making a throat-slitting gesture towards Mali supporters.

On the field, Aurier is a talented player. Aurier, also 23, is a powerful and athletic defender who is similarly strong going forward, per OptaJean:

Fabinho is a slightly better option—if nothing else, because there aren't any question marks over his temperament—and is probably worth waiting for.

Nevertheless, Aurier could make a valuable addition to the Red Devils squad, particularly if Mourinho can keep him focused on performing on the pitch.