Manchester United favourites in race over rivals City for Brazilian versatile Monaco midfielder Fabinho
MANCHESTER UNITED are leading the race to sign Fabinho from Monaco after missing out on Bernardo Silva.
Jose Mourinho is determined not to miss out on his midfield target after rivals Manchester City jumped the gun on nailing down Silva for £43m.
Fabinho was another star who was instrumental in free-scoring Monaco's march to the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League semi-finals.
He may be the midfield steel Mourinho is looking for to play alongside Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba at Old Trafford with the promise of United being drafted straight into the Champions League group stages.
Mourinho's side have looked light on strength in depth in midfield this season during their Europa League and Premier League campaigns.
Marouane Fellaini has been one of the beneficiaries from that, while Michael Carrick remains in the twilight years of his career 35.
The 23-year-old Real Madrid reject has played for Monaco since 2014 and netted 10 times for Leonardo Jardim's side, with four assists to boot.
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United have been interested in Tottenham's Eric Dier this season, but given the frosty relationship between the Old Trafford board and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, chances of this happening look remote.
And Fabinho would add some of Mourinho's infamous steel to the midfield, freeing up the likes of world record signing Pogba to pull the strings in midfield.
Mourinho also experimented between 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 towards the end of last season and Fabinho's adaptability would prove useful, with the Brazilian also able to play full-back or wing-back.
