Manchester United to offer Alex Telles for Nuno Mendes

Manchester United want to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Nuno Mendes, according to reports.

The Sun reports that United are keen on bringing the 18-year-old left-back to the club to provide long-term competition for Luke Shaw, who has been much improved after finally knuckling down with his career after years of complaints from various managers that he was tactically unaware and unable to keep his weight at the required level for a professional athlete paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a week.

His improvement also coincided with the arrival of Alex Telles from Porto, though the 28-year-old Brazilian has failed to dislodge the England international - however his presence may have finally spurred Shaw into committing to keeping his form at the necessary level (though the fact he is soon to be playing for a new contract might also have something to do with it).

In order to secure Mendes reports suggest that United would send Telles to Sporting Libson for a year on loan, with at least some of his wages subsidised by United, thereby providing a direct replacement for their youngster.

United would also pay around £33.9 million in order to secure Mendes, who would then be brought into the first team to provide competition for Shaw.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also wants to bring in a central defender to partner Harry Maguire after Eric Bailly struggled to maintain his fitness and Victor Lindelof is not good enough to stay as first choice. David de Gea is also expected to leave, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka may see Diogo Dalot return from AC Milan to provide a more attacking alternative at right-back. Sergio Romero and Lee Grant are also due to leave the club in the summer when their contracts run out, meaning there is a defensive overhaul on the horizon.