Manchester United’s scouting department have been rather busy over the past year. They cast the net far and wide to spot Diogo Dalot, and then bought the little-known Porto full-back ahead of a number of European heavyweights. And after watching Shakhtar Donetsk games for several months, they decided Fred was the man to add dynamism to United’s midfield.

But of all the areas United’s scouting department have been looking at over the past few months, none has received as much attention as the centre-back position. By the end of last season, United’s vast scouting network had compiled a shortlist of nine centre-halves that was presented to Ed Woodward and Jose Mourinho.

It contained experienced campaigners such as the Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng, Raphael Varane