Man Utd 'consider £40m January transfer swoop' for West Ham star Issa Diop

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reportedly identified Wet Ham star Issa Diop as his No.1 defensive transfer target this month.

Solskjaer is desperate to bolster his ranks in the January window after a miserable start to the season which has left the Norwegian’s future in doubt.

The manager, despite facing uncertainty at Old Trafford, is stepping up his squad overhaul this month and has prioritised the signing of a defender.

And The Sun has claimed that Solskjaer is weighing up a £40million move for Diop, who is also wanted by Premier League rivals Chelsea .

The 23-year-old centre-back was signed from Toulouse for £22m in June 2018 and has established himself as a fans’ favourite in east London.

And his performances has earned him plenty of plaudits, with Chelsea boss Frank Lampard also keeping an eye on his situation at the London Stadium.

With United five points adrift of the top four ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Norwich, there has been much attention on who the club might try to bring in this month.

Solskjaer brushed off a question about Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes, while defender Kalidou Koulibaly and playmakers James Maddison and Jack Grealish have been other names linked with Old Trafford.

The United boss insists he is focusing on long-term goals and not thinking about signings in terms of his own reputation.

“I’m not going to protect myself,” he said. “I’m here to do the best for the club, what I think and we feel is right.

“I’ll never, ever put myself before the club. There’s no ‘i’ in Manchester and there’s no ‘i’ in this team. I could never, ever do that, that’s not me. I’m working for Man United.

“It wouldn’t always be the worst thing you can do to put a short-term fix in if it’s good for the group here and now, but you wouldn’t put yourself in a situation that you’ve done something that you regret in 18 months’ time.

“We’ve got to do due diligence – that’s character of players, quality of players and right fit into this squad.”