Manchester United manager David Moyes is believed to have found a replacement for Wayne Rooney should the striker leave Old Trafford this summer.
Udinese front man Luis Muriel has been earmarked by Moyes and United chief scout Robbie Cooke as the ideal replacement for the England international, according to Metro.
Rooney has been strongly linked with Chelsea, and Moyes is determined to maintain squad depth in the forward positions should the transfer materialise.
The 22-year-old Columbian international can play as a central striker or a wide forward. To secure the player, Manchester United may have to pay a transfer fee of £18million, which shouldn't be a problem considering the fee received for Rooney will likely be above £18million.
In addition to United, the player was scouted by Liverpool and Barcelona last week as Udinese took on Siroki Brijeg in the Europa League. In only 15 starts and seven substitute appearances, Muriel was able to finish the Serie A season with 11 goals and three assists.
The propect of striking a deal with the young Columbian may take pressure off Moyes who is yet to make a significant signing this summer. The manager has spoken of the difficulties of managing Manchester United after Everton.
"The transition from Everton to United has been difficult at times as I have hard decisions to make," Moyes is quoted as saying to The Telegraph.
"Everton are a great club and I was proud to manage them," he continued. "I can't deny Manchester United is on another level. Let's be honest, it would be a step up from just about any club in the world. The level of interest from the fans and the press is phenomenal."
Despite the immense expectation that comes along with managing Manchester United, Moyes is excited all the same.
"I cannot wait to get the season started," he explained. "I know what it's like to step out at Old Trafford as the manager of the opposition, so to step out in front of 75,000 fans as the Manchester United manager will be special for me."
