United keen on £25m-rated African defender

English Premier League side Manchester United are keen on the signature of Porto central defender Moussa Merega with the hope of sealing a deal when the winter transfer window reopens in coming weeks.

The Red Devils have been struggling with their blunt attack composed of Belgium international Romelu Lukaku and Chile international Alexis Sanchez and they hope to find a solution to that with Moussa Merega.

The Mali international has been fantastic for his side this season which gives him the attention from a number of top sides.

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It is reported that the United board are doing all it takes to lure the player away from Porto as they plan to begin afresh from the second stanza of the season which begins in January.

So far this season, Moussa Merega has had 16 games under his belt and has been able to score 11, one of the highest you can find in the Portuguese league which makes him a good fit for the Old Trafford side.

The 27-year-old has got a contract with the club until 2021 with a release clause of £25 million which is affordable for the United side.

Meanwhile, United have parted ways with manager Jose Mourinho and will be looking forward to a new start from this week.