Manchester United plotting double defensive swoop with Jose Fonte and Fabinho on their radar

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Manchester United are continuing their efforts to make two additions to the English Premier League club's defensive options.

The attempts to strengthen the centre and right side of Jose Mourinho's back four remain dependent on convincing at least two senior squad members to leave Old Trafford on permanent or season-long transfers.

Ideally, United will add both an experienced central defender and an elite-level right back to Mourinho's squad.

The Portuguese wants to add quality and height in both positions, with Southampton captain Jose Fonte and AS Monaco's athletic Brazil international Fabinho leading candidates for the two roles.

Fonte, the subject of a £9million offer from Everton earlier in the summer transfer window, has asked Southampton to honour a gentleman's agreement that he be allowed to leave the South Coast club should the 32-year-old be offered significantly superior financial terms elsewhere.

Earlier this month the Portugal international stated that he felt “flattered to be associated with a club like Manchester United”.

Regarded as one of the best right backs in the European game, the 1m88-tall Fabinho has been aware of Mourinho's interest in him throughout a summer in which he helped Monaco qualify for the Champions League group stage.

The 22-year-old has been told that a transfer could still go before Wednesday's deadline. "With the Champions League it's not bad staying at Monaco," said Fabinho last week. "I'm not certain of staying, but at the same time, there's more of a chance of me staying than leaving."

In an effort to make room for the new central defender, United have been working on a deal to sell Marcos Rojo to Valencia as one replacement for Arsenal-bound Shkodran Mustafi.

Regarded as one of the best right backs in the European game, the 1m88-tall Fabinho has been aware of Mourinho's interest in him throughout a summer in which he helped Monaco qualify for the Champions League group stage.

The 22-year-old has been told that a transfer could still go before Wednesday's deadline. "With the Champions League it's not bad staying at Monaco," said Fabinho last week. "I'm not certain of staying, but at the same time, there's more of a chance of me staying than leaving."

In an effort to make room for the new central defender, United have been working on a deal to sell Marcos Rojo to Valencia as one replacement for Arsenal-bound Shkodran Mustafi.

Abdennour's representatives are understood to have held discussions with Everton, Leicester City and AC Milan over a transfer that would increase the possibility of Rojo's switch.

Valencia have also been working on the purchase of fellow Argentina defender Ezequiel Garay from Zenit St Petersburg.

Rojo rejected a lucrative offer to join Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG earlier in the window in favour of remaining in European football.

Although Monaco are amongst the Argentine's other suitors, the Ligue 1 club have only proposed a deal in which United part-finance the 26-year-old's salary.

While their preference would be to sell Louis van Gaal signing Rojo, United also have the option of placing Phil Jones on loan to another Premier League club having fielded inquiries for the England international from both Hull and Stoke City.

Creating space for a new right back, however, has proved more problematic.

Mourinho has selected Antonio Valencia ahead of Matteo Darmian for all four of United's competitive fixtures this season, and would not stand in the way of the Italy international should he choose to seek guaranteed playing time elsewhere.

Napoli are in the market for a right back in Serie A, while AC Milan's new owners have drawn up a medium-term plan to upgrade the Serie A club's entire squad.

Publicly, United have sought to downplay the possibility of further transfer market activity following the what Mourinho described as the four “fundamental” acquisitions of Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba.

"I have 23 players in the squad and, in principle, there is nobody leaving and nobody is coming,” said Mourinho on Friday.

"Twenty-three players is more than enough and, if you have a problem or an opportunity, then I have a few young players in the Academy that I will be more than happy to give an acceleration in their process.”