Roma ace is next on Jose’s list

NOW HE’S AFTER NAINGGOLAN

MANCHESTER UNITED will turn their focus to Roma’s £40m midfielder Radja Nainggolan as Tottenham continue to resist interest in Eric Dier.

Nainggolan, 29, is a powerful midfield player and seasoned Belgian international. He has previously been a target for Chelsea and Antonio Conte registered an interest in the midfielder last summer. Chelsea are close to signing Monaco’s Tiemoue Bakayoko but Conte may still move for Nainggolan as he beefs up his midfield options. It offers the tantalising prospect of United and Chelsea going head-to-head once more for a major European talent after Mourinho beat Conte to the signing of Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian midfielder Nainggolan would be open to leaving Roma this summer and despite publicly assuring fans Nainggolan will stay, the Italian club’s new sporting director Monchi may consider a sale to fund a major rebuilding of the squad.

Nainggolan has significant interest from Inter Milan but Roma do not want to provoke anger from their own supporters by transferring the midfielder to a rival Italian club. Roma are therefore set to make discreet approaches to United as they set about securing a deal.

Jose Mourinho is understood to be a firm admirer of Nainggolan and is determined to recruit midfield reinforcements. United have monitored his performances for the last six months and remain interested.

Mourinho continues to pursue Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and United have not given up hope that a deal could happen once the initial tension around Romelu Lukaku’s transfer cools down.

Eric Dier remains a target but Tottenham insist he will not be sold.

Anderlecht’s Leander Dendoncker, 22, is also being monitored after impressing both home and away when the Belgian team faced United in the Champions League.