Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho hoping to land a big-name defender before the summer transfer window closes

JOSE MOURINHO is planning to bring yet another big-money signing to Manchester United, this time in a bid to bolster his inexperienced back four.

Following three weeks of pre-season, the Special One - in his first season as Old Trafford chief - has become increasingly concerned by the lack of depth in his defence.

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And the former Chelsea boss has been told money is no object, despite the impending signing of Paul Pogba for in excess of £100million.

On top of that, Mourinho has already brought Eric Bailly to the club in a £30m deal, as well as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

But now the United chief has turned his attention to drawing up a shortlist of centre-backs to help out Chris Smalling, who at 26 is the most experienced in the current back-line.

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It is understood the shortlist comprises of a host of big names, including Ezequiel Garay, Jose Fonte and Leonardo Bonucci - despite Juventus slapping a £60m asking price on their man.

Southampton's Fonte might be the most viable option in the short-term for Mourinho, who at 32 provides a wealth of experience - with four seasons in the Premier League to boot.

The Portuguese defender - part of his country's shock Euro 2016-winning team - will be out of contract at St Mary's in 2018, so the south coast club may be interested in cashing in sooner rather than later.

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Meanwhile, Matteo Darmian's unsuccessful stint in Manchester could already be over with a host of Serie A sides looking to snare the right-back's signature.

With a spot opening up on the right-side of defence, Mourinho is expected to move for Brazilian ace Fabinho, with Monaco bracing themselves for a £16m swoop in the coming days.

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However, the Special One may face competition from Barcelona.

Elsewhere, with Mourinho settling into his role at the club, he is widely expected to kick-off a mass clear-out, with big names such as Daley Blind, Juan Mata and Marcos Rojo set to be shown the door.