Following Jose Mourinho's exit, Manchester United are looking to get their season back on track under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's guidance going into the second-half of the season.
Considering the team's defensive woes, the one area United undoubtedly need to bolster is their backline, primarily the centre-back position. Eric Bailly's future at the club is currently uncertain, and the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are evidently not good enough to turn out for United on a regular basis.
As such, here's a look at four centre-backs United could realistically sign in January…
Toby Alderweireld
It's no secret that Manchester United are huge admirers of the Belgian centre-back having made attempts to sign him in previous transfer windows.
Alderweireld has been a consistent performer at Tottenham since his arrival at the club, but with his proposed one-year contract extension at Spurs set to trigger a £25m release clause, Manchester United could snap him up at a relatively cheap price.
Alderweireld is good with the ball at his feet and even better at preventing players from penetrating his side's defensive line. He's one of the best defenders in the Premier League and would be an excellent addition to United's backline.
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Andreas Granqvist would be a more temporary option, but a good one nonetheless. The Helsingborgs man has been linked with a move to Manchester United since October.
The 33-year-old was one of the best defenders in the World Cup back in June, as he marked players tightly and made key interceptions against highly skilled opponents. He also showcased his ability from spot-kicks, although should he sign for United, it's unlikely that Pogba will give up his penalty taking duties.
Granqvist has previously said that an offer from Manchester United would be 'very hard' to turn down, so should Solskjaer's side table a concrete offer for the Swedish defender he's likely to make the switch.
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Godin has a lot to offer United in terms of leadership and defensive contributions. The Uruguay international has been an integral part of both his national team set-up and Atletico Madrid for many years, so much so that he's widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.
He's reportedly got a £20m release clause which won't be any trouble for United to pay, but the main hurdle is getting him to make the switch as he's rejected offers from the club in the past.
Godin would add a much-needed layer of protection to Manchester United's back four considering his expertise in dealing with tricky and pacey forwards having face a number of world-class attackers with great success throughout his career.
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Manchester United's pursuit of Harry Maguire ended last summer because club chairman Ed Woodward refused to meet Leicester City's valuation of the English centre-back.
United have a much bigger need for a quality centre-back than they did back in August having already played through half of the season with defensive problems. The Leicester man has Premier League experience and World Cup experience so he knows what it is to play under pressure in massive games.
Leicester are likely to demand a similar fee to what they asked for in August but whether United would take the same stance they did back then is unknown – one thing's for sure, though – they need Maguire's quality.
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