Vitaliy Mykolenko emerges as Manchester United target

Manchester United have turned their attention from failing to recruit in one position, to start failing to recruit in another.

United have had little success chasing Jadon Sancho in the transfer window as they refuse to meet Borussia Dortmund’s demands, somehow imagining the German club are secretly desperate to sell, when quite clearly they have simply named their price and got on with their life until that moment arrives - shoud it ever.

They have been linked with Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon, but that hasn’t happened, neither has a move for Douglas Costa or Ivan Perisic. In a rare spot of good news, Jesse Lingard could be on his way to Spurs, though that is tempered by Phil Jones’ injury meaning that he is lilely to stay.

However, after the weekend’s depressingly depressing defeat to Crystal Palace, Ed Woodward has decided to change policy on the hoof and try a short-term solution to longstanding squad building problems. If you’re getting the sense that not only will the club rarely back a manager sensibly throughout his time at the club, they would rather waste the millions of pounds that they intermittently spend.

A director of football, or any kind of sensible strategy, would be the obvious solution. Instead, Woody’s wheel of fortune has landed on central defence. But Dayot Upamecano cannot be bought this summer so that apparently rules out any move for an alternative.

Thus we move onto left-back, and the Mirror claims that Alex Telles is interesting the club, with the 27-year-old Brazilian in the last year of his contract. Expect him to join Paris Saint-Germain, because this is the United way. Finally, Mykolenko, the 21-year-old Dynamo Kiev defender is the next target. From Jadon Sancho to Vitaliy Mykolenko in one transfer window, it augurs for a fantastic season.