Southampton have given captain Jose Fonte the go-ahead to leave the club in January which will put Man United chiefs on red alert ahead of the window, according to reports from the Daily Record.
The Portugal international, who won the European Championships with his country over the summer, has reportedly fallen out with the powers that be at St Mary’s over a number of contract and transfer related issues.
The former Crystal Palace man was supposedly angered when the club did not inform him about a £9m offer from Premier League rivals, Everton in January.
Reports towards the end of the summer window strongly linked the Saints man with a move to join his compatriot Jose Mourinho at Man United but nothing came of it.
However, with the Red Devils boss being given the funds to reinforce his back four in the winter window he may well move for the 32-year-old, who has been left out of all the Saints Europa League games so far, once again.