Manchester United Transfer News: Red Devils Reportedly Open Jerome Boateng Talks

Manchester United's search for a defender has reportedly taken yet another twist, as the Red Devils are said to have contacted Bayern Munich for Jerome Boateng.

Sport Bild's Christian Falk reported the news on Sunday, shortly after the friendly between the two clubs came to an end:

The Red Devils have been linked with a host of centre-backs already. Just on Sunday, Sky Sports News reported the club are set to bid for Leicester City's Harry Maguire, and Colombia's RCN Radio (h/t Sport Witness) all but guaranteed Barcelona's Yerry Mina will join the club.

Sportswriter Graham Ruthven couldn't help himself:

Manager Jose Mourinho has made it clear he wants new signings before the start of the season, per MUTV (h/t Sky Sports):

"My CEO knows what I want for quite a long time.

"He knows what I want, I know that he tries to do the best for me and I still have a few days to wait what is going to happen.

"The other clubs who compete with us are really strong and have fantastic squads, like Chelsea, Tottenham or Manchester City, or they are investing massively like Liverpool, that are buying everything and everybody.

"And if we don't make our team better it will be a difficult season for us."

The 29-year-old Boateng―who spent a season at Manchester City―has been a regular for Bayern for years, but injuries limited him during the 2017-18 season. His health has been an issue for some time, and last season, Niklas Sule emerged as a viable replacement in his absence.

Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Boateng was one of Germany's worst performers at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and that poor showing led to even more exit speculation. MailOnline's Simon Jones reported the Bavarians have shopped the defender around, including to the Red Devils.

As explained by Sport Witness, there appears to be a clear willingness to sell from Bayern's part, and the timing of this rumour, emerging right after the friendly, likely was no coincidence. 

Boateng is still just 29 years old, and at full health, he remains a fantastic defender. In all likelihood, he would come a lot cheaper than Toby Alderweireld or Maguire, given that their respective clubs are not trying to move them on.

There's not much time left to make a deal, however, as the Premier League's transfer window will slam shut on Thursday.