Manchester United have reportedly emerged as frontrunners to sign AS Monaco player Fabinho as the Reds look to bolster their midfield ahead of the new Premier League season.
Reports in Portugal claim that United are favourites to sign the 23-year-old who enjoyed a successful season with the Ligue 1 outfit having helped Monaco to their first league title since the 1999/00 season.
As well as their success in the league, Monaco enjoyed a strong run in the UEFA Champions League as they eliminated Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund before being knocked out by Juventus in the semi-finals.
Fabinho fits the bill at United
Fabinho was instrumental throughout the season for Monaco and featured 49 times for the club, scoring a total of 10 goals from defensive midfield. The Brazil international has attracted a lot of interest across Europe with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City keeping tabs on the player.
Fabinho's versatility is one of the reasons why United continue to pursue this transfer as he can play in defensive midfield as well as in the right-back position.
With both Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger having departed last season, Fabinho would be a fantastic replacement to sit deep in midfield and allow Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera to push further forward.
The Brazillian made over 1500 passes for Monaco in the league, averaging an accuracy of 84%.
The start of a busy summer at Old Trafford?
Having agreed a fee with Benfica for the signing of Victor Lindelof, Fabinho could well be José Mourinho's second summer signing, with more deals still expected to happen.
The Red Devils have also been heavily linked with Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata and are favourites to sign the Spain international, with a deal rumoured to be completed in the coming days. Further to this, United have shown strong interest in Torino forward Andrea Belotti, but club owner, Urbano Cairo, has revealed that he won't let the Italian leave the club unless a bid of €100m is made.