Manchester United Transfer News: Kostas Manolas, Victor Lindelof, Fresh Rumours

Kostas Manolas has emerged as one of Jose Mourinho's top transfer targets, and Manchester United have submitted a formal bid of £32.5 million for the Greece international, according to Emanuele Giulianelli for The Sun.

The United boss has supposedly turned his attention towards Manolas after attempts to bring Victor Lindelof to the club stalled. Lindelof, Benfica's 22-year-old starlet, seemed set to relocate to Old Trafford, but the potential move has made little progress in recent days, as per Giulianelli.

And now it would appear that Mourinho is moving on. Roma centre-back Manolas has been in impressive form for Luciano Spalletti's side, who currently trail Juventus by four points and boast the second-best defensive record in Serie A (18 goals conceded in 18 games). With the title race still open, Roma will probably demand a hefty fee midseason. 

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

Despite persistently rotating his centre-backs during the first few months of the season, Mourinho's team have been surprisingly sturdy at the back. Only Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have conceded fewer than United's 19 in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, Mourinho is searching for a new defender, with Chris Smalling set to be moved on, according to Paul Hetherington for the Daily Star.

The match against Middlesbrough on New Year's Eve was uncharacteristically poor defensively and might explain the new rumours, as sports writer Hesham Bilal-Hafiz pointed out on Twitter:

Lindelof has a release clause believed to be around £37.8 million, as per Jon Fisher for Goal, making Manolas a slightly cheaper option should United's reported bid be accepted.

Lindelof was again left out of the Benfica squad on Wednesday night following the mounting rumours, as per Mark Critchley of The Independent, but the club seem unlikely to accept anything less than the clause price.

"Lindelof is a Benfica player with a contract which contains a termination clause," Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira told A Bola (h/t Fisher). "At this moment we do not want to sell any of our players except, of course, if a proposal that serves the interests of Benfica and the player arises."

Manolas, then, could be the new priority target. United fans may not be so sure they need a new defender after Jones' and Rojo's recent performances, but reports continue to suggest Mourinho is looking to improve his defensive options in the January window.