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Manchester United are considering making an offer to Shakhtar Donetsk for Brazil international Fred.

The English Premier League club's interest in a player who is also on the recruitment list at Manchester City reflects a shift in Jose Mourinho's priorities in the January transfer window.

The Old Trafford manager wants to increase his tactical options in the centre of midfield, an area in which he has been constrained by the enforced absences of Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Paul Pogba for long periods of the season. Mourinho would like to add an individual who would free club-record signing Pogba to play closer to United's forward line in a three-man midfield.

The focus on recruiting in the middle of the park ahead of weaknesses on the wing and at left back that must also be addressed is also educated by an uncertainty over the futures of Carrick, Fellaini and Ander Herrera, all of whom could leave the first-team squad at the end of the current campaign.

(Image: Man Utd via Getty Images)

Fellaini's contract expires in the summer and while the Belgium international would like to remain with Manchester United and Mourinho has instructed the club to retain the player, no agreement has been reached on a new deal. Treatment for an irregular heart rhythm has prevented Carrick from playing any Premier League football this season with the 36-year-old offered a position on Mourinho's coaching staff if he elects to retire at the end of it.

"If - next summer - we are going to sign a midfield player, it's to replace Michael Carrick,” said Mourinho recently. “And Michael is a phenomenal player that, this season he couldn't give us anything at all. He's in the end of his career, so if next summer we buy a midfield player, it's not to improve our squad, it's to replace Michael Carrick. So to improve our squad in the midfield, we would need to buy two."

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Fred, 24, is in his fifth campaign at Shakhtar, who signed the Brazilian for a transfer fee of €15million from Internacional. He has been part of two Ukrainian title winning sides and was influential in Shakhtar's progress to the Champions League knock-out rounds ahead of Napoli.

Shakhtar remain the only club to have defeated Manchester City this season and would prefer to retain the services of the player. Fred, however, is keen to move to a more prominent competition and spoke enthusiastically of City's interest in a recent interview in Brazil.

Fred is one of a number of midfielders under consideration by Mourinho. There was a significant interest in Leon Goretzka before Bayern Munich moved to secure the young Germany international to a summer freedom-of-contract move from Schalke 04, but it is understood that United manager does not want to pursue a move for Borussia Dortmund's Julian Weigl.

While Mourinho admires Saul Niguez, the €150m release clause Atletico Madrid included in a July contract renewal places the Spain international outside a realistic budget. Although United have committed more than €350m to transfer fees on the seven senior signings made under the multiple Premier League winner's stewardship, such was the squad's state of disrepair upon his appointment several problem areas remain to be resolved.

(Image: AFP) (Image: PA Wire)

Mourinho's preferred choice for left back, Alex Sandro, would join United if a transfer fee can be agreed with Juventus, but the Italian champions will not sell mid-season unless they receive “crazy money” for the Brazilian. Thomas Lemar leads a shortlist of wingers that also includes another Arsenal target in Bordeaux's Malcom, and teenage United States forward Christian Pulisic. United's board, however, are not expected to sign off on the transfer fee AS Monaco want for the France.

A long standing admirer of Lucas Moura, Mourinho has United examining the feasibility of taking the out-of-favour Paris Saint-Germain forward on loan with an option to buy. It is also understood that he would also take Alexis Sanchez were United capable of putting a deal in place with both Arsenal and the Chile international that would enable him to move to Old Trafford rather than City.