Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has added KS Samara's Aleksandr Sobolev to his list of January transfer targets.
The Norweigan is eager to sign a new striker in the new year after failing to replace either Romelu Lukaku or Alexis Sánchez - both joined Inter - during the summer, although Solskjaer's admitted he only wants to make long-term additions at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer's comments might have cast some doubt over recent links with Mario Mandžukić, but The Sun claims that Russia Under-21 international Sobolev is a new player that Manchester United scouts will be watching over the next few months.
The 22-year-old is enjoying his best-ever season in the Russian Premier League already, scoring eight goals in just 11 appearances where he's found the back of the net against the division's biggest clubs too.
Sobolev scored twice on the opening day against CSKA Moskow, while he's also netted against Lokomotiv and Spartak this season.
KS Samara are only just above the relegation zone so will be reluctant to sell their top goalscorer during the January transfer window.
But as Sobolev's contract at the Cosmos Arena runs out in 2021, Samara could be forced to cash in on their star striker next summer.
If a move for Sobolev does come about in January, the Russian star would come into United as the club's most natural striker, as unlike Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, he hasn't been used out wide throughout his career so far.
It's understood that Manchester United are still prioritising either Callum Wilson or Moussa Dembélé ahead of the January window, although neither striker would be available in a budget deal for the club.
Source :
90min
