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Manchester United are stepping up their efforts to land Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte in the January transfer window.

Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal are also in the hunt for the 20-year-old centre-back, regarded as one of Europe's most promising young defenders.

United are understood to have made enquiries about Laporte through an intermediary, with a view to securing a January deal to help solve their defensive woes.

The Old Trafford giants' executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is already working on January targets identified by manager Louis van Gaal, with Laporte one of the names at the top of the list.

Van Gaal sees rising France star Laporte as a shrewd investment, despite the player's £32million buy-out clause, given his age and huge potential.

Laporte has made 59 appearances for Bilbao and represented France at youth level.

He is tipped to break into the full France squad soon and seen as a potential star of Euro 2016.

Van Gaal is currently without three central defenders in Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo, as well as right-back Rafael, through injury and is desperate to recruit reinforcements in January.

Chris Smalling could be on his way to Arsenal, with Van Gaal also harbouring doubts over Evans and Jones, not least because of their inability to remain fit.

United are also keeping tabs on Zenit St Petersburg's Ezequiel Garay and Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund, but are aware they face an almost impossible task in landing the latter.