According to Calciomercato, via Il Corriere dello Sport, Manchester United have made an offer in the region of €50 million for AC Milan’s star centre-back, Alessio Romagnoli.

Romagnoli is valued at £36 million already by Transfermarkt, despite being only 23, a tender age for a centre-back.

Romagnoli has been a regular at the highest level in Italy for years now and has proven himself to be one of the finest centre-backs in Europe. He is also the perfect centre-back for Mourinho’s Manchester United. 

The list of the Red Devils’ current options in this position is uninspiring; Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof. Only Bailly stands out as being of supreme quality, and unfortunately, his injury record makes him an unreliable presence. 

The Breakdown

This United side lacks what the club’s great sides of old all had - an ever-present rock at the back. Be it Rio Ferdinand, Steve Bruce or Nemanja Vidic. Those individuals were the granite foundations upon which all of those league and cup triumphs were built.

Alessio Romagnoli could be that pillar of certainty for a new generation of successful United sides. 

Time is on his side, and in Mourinho, he would find a manager at Old Trafford who knows how to organise and cultivate an elite defensive unit. Mourinho would make Romagnoli a better player, and Romagnoli would make United a better team.

The Italian international has all the attributes needed to make it as a world class modern centre-back. 

He originally came through the youth ranks at Roma as a midfielder, before having his position converted. This experience in the middle of the park developed the youngster into an excellent ball player, who is confident in possession and able to instigate attacks from the back with regularity.

His more traditionally defensive skills don’t let him down either, with his focus, positional sense and decision making being widely praised, and standing out as much as his physical prowess and aerial ability do. Romagnoli is a leader and has been compared with the legendary Alessandro Nesta for a reason. 

He is exactly what Mourinho and Manchester United need.