Manchester United are lining up a £30m January bid for Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin as Jose Mourinho tries to strengthen his leaky defence.

Mourinho is looking to clear the deadwood from his squad and replace them with high-quality alternatives, and the defence is top of his to-do list.

United are going through a centre-back crisis at the moment, with Mourinho being forced to deploy two left-backs at the heart of his defence.

Eric Bailly, who has impressed since arriving from Villarreal in the summer, and Chris Smalling are both out injured, while Phil Jones is only just coming back from a long injury absence, leaving Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind as the only available centre-backs.

Bailly is expected back midway through December but, fitness pending, he could then find himself playing in the African Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast in January.

As a result, United are keen to bring in Godin, who was recently named on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or.

The Red Devils are confident they can for Atletico to sell with a large offer and they will be able to easily beat his current salary of £70,000-a-week, according to The Sun.

2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Show all 30 1 /30 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Sergio Aguero of Manchester City celebrates scoring his third during the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City FC and VfL Borussia Moenchengladbach at Etihad Stadium on September 14, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Getty 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund) WOLFSBURG, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 20: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Dortmund celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund at Volkswagen Arena on September 21, 2016 in Wolfsburg, Germany. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann/Getty Images For MAN) Getty Images For MAN 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) CARDIFF, WALES - SEPTEMBER 05: Gareth Bale of Wales celebrates scoring his sides third goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier Group D match between Wales and Moldova at Cardiff City Stadium on September 5, 2016 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) TURIN, ITALY - OCTOBER 31: Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus FC celebrates after his team-mate Juan Cuadrado scored the victory goal during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Torino FC at Juventus Arena on October 31, 2015 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) TOPSHOT - Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo smiles while posing with the trophy after Portugal won the Euro 2016 final football match between Portugal and France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on July 10, 2016. / AFP / FRANCISCO LEONG (Photo credit should read FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City) MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Manchester City and Sevilla at Etihad Stadium on October 21, 2015 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Paulo Dybala (Juventus) Juventus' forward Paulo Dybala from Argentina celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Udinese on October 15, 2016 at the 'Juventus Stadium' in Turin. / AFP / MARCO BERTORELLO (Photo credit should read MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid) Atletico Madrid's Uruguayan defender Diego Godin controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League football match between FC Rostov and Club Atletico de Madrid in Rostov-on-Don on October 19, 2016. / AFP / Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) MARSEILLE, FRANCE - JULY 07: Antoine Griezmann of France celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA EURO semi final match between Germany and France at Stade Velodrome on July 7, 2016 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus) TURIN, ITALY - AUGUST 20: Gonzalo Higuain of Juventus FC gestures during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and ACF Fiorentina at Juventus Arena on August 20, 2016 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 07: Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during The FA Community Shield match between Leicester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on August 7, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Andres Iniesta (Barcelona) VALENCIA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 22: Andres Iniesta of FC Barcelona competes for the ball with Enzo Perez of Valencia CF during the La Liga match between Valencia CF and FC Barcelona at Mestalla stadium on October 22, 2016 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Koke (Atletico Madrid) SEVILLE, SPAIN - OCTOBER 23: Koke Resurreccion of Club Atletico de Madrid looks on during the match between Sevilla FC vs Club Atletico de Madrid as part of La Liga at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuanon October 23, 2016 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) Getty 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) AUGSBURG, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 14: Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich celebrates as he scores their second goal during the Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern Muenchen at SGL Arena on February 14, 2016 in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images) Bongarts/Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur) LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 23: Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur makes a save during the Barclays Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on January 23, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 07: Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City lifts the Premier League Trophy as players and staffs celebrate the season champion after the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Everton at The King Power Stadium on May 7, 2016 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Lionel Messi (Barcelona) BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 19: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Barcelona and Manchester City FC at Camp Nou on October 19, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Luka Modric (Real Madrid) MILAN, ITALY - MAY 28: Luka Modric of Real Madrid celebrates with the trophy after victory in the UEFA Champions League Final match between Real Madrid and Club Atletico de Madrid at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 28, 2016 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) BREMEN, GERMANY - OCTOBER 17: Thomas Mueller of Muenchen celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Bundesliga match between SV Werder Bremen and FC Bayern Muenchen at Weserstadion on October 17, 2015 in Bremen, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images) Bongarts/Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) MUNICH, GERMANY - OCTOBER 19: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich during the UEFA Champions League group D match between Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven at Allianz Arena on October 19, 2016 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Marc Mueller/Bongarts/Getty Images) Bongarts/Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Neymar (Barcelona) RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 20: Neymar of Brazil celebrates scoring the winning penalty in the penalty shoot out during the Men's Football Final between Brazil and Germany at the Maracana Stadium on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Dimitri Payet (West Ham) PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 10: Dimitri Payet of France controls the ball during the UEFA Euro 2016 Group A match between France and Romania at Stade de France on June 10, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Pepe (Real Madrid) Portugal's defender Pepe (C) lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates (fromL) Portugal's defender Bruno Alves, Portugal's forward Ricardo Quaresma, Portugal's midfielder Adrien Silva, Portugal's forward Nani and Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo, winning the Euro 2016 final football match between Portugal and France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on July 10, 2016. / AFP / FRANCISCO LEONG (Photo credit should read FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Paul Pogba (Manchester United) MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 24: Paul Pogba of Manchester United celebrates scoring their fourth goal in front of the home fans during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford on September 24, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images) Man Utd via Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon) MARSEILLE, FRANCE - JUNE 30: Rui Patricio of Portugal saves a penalty by Jakub Blaszczykowski of Poland during the UEFA EURO 2016 quarter final match between Poland and Portugal at Stade Velodrome on June 30, 2016 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) MILAN, ITALY - MAY 28: Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid kisses the trophy after winning the UEFA Champions League Final match between Real Madrid and Club Atletico de Madrid at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 28, 2016 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Luis Suarez (Barcelona) BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 20: Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona poses with the Golden Boot Trophy as the best goal scorer in all European Leagues last season on October 20, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. Luis Suarez scored 40 goals for FC Barcelona in last season's Spanish La Liga. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 07: Jamie Vardy of Leicester City kisses the Premier League Trophy after the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Everton at The King Power Stadium on May 7, 2016 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) Getty Images 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich) DORTMUND, GERMANY - AUGUST 14: Arturo Vidal of Muenchen celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the DFL Supercup 2016 match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Signal Iduna Park on August 14, 2016 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Sascha Steinbach/Bongarts/Getty Images) Bongarts/Getty Images

Godin has been one of the stand-out defenders in Europe for the last few seasons, helping Atletico to two Champions League finals, as well as impressing with Uruguay.