Manchester United are ready to step up their bid for AS Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman.
The Daily Star says it's the Serie A club's failure to qualify from their group which could see United snap up the Dutch midfielder as early as January.
Qualification for Roma would have meant United had no chance of landing the 24-year-old until the summer at the very earliest.
But with United up to third in the Premier League, their good form and potential return to the Champions League them an attractive prospect to the world's top talent once again.
