A centre-back should remain at the top of Manchester United’s priority list following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese was relieved of his managerial duties last week after overseeing United’s worst start to a Premier League season since 1991. The 3-1 defeat against rivals Liverpool last weekend proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Mourinho who has had a rocky relationship with the United board and key members of the squad. Club legend, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, will take charge of first-team affairs until the end of the season alongside Mike Phelan, the former assistant of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The January transfer window will allow Solskjaer to bolster his ranks to get United climbing the table once again. Mourinho was desperate to sign a defender in the summer, but the Red Devils saw a number of potential moves fall flat. Reports suggest the board will authorise a massive deal for Napoli defender, Kalidou Koulibaly, but it’s improbable that the Senegal international will opt to leave.

Instead, United should make a move for Borussia Monchengladbach ace – Matthias Ginter. Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, the German’s impressive performances have gone under the radar in the Bundesliga with Ginter attracting little attention from around the globe. He joined his current employers from Dortmund last summer and has been a mainstay in the Gladbach defence ever since.

Ginter excels defensively and loves to get stuck in – he would add some much-needed stability to the United back four. As well as being an aerial threat, the 24-year-old is confident on the ball and uses his range of passing to launch attacks from the back. Ginter is also versatile and can operate at right-back or defensive midfield making him a handy option for Solskjaer to have at his disposal.

The defender is still developing and improving, luring him to England could prove to be an astute piece of business.

Manchester United fans, thoughts?