Manchester United could be dealt a huge blow as Real Madrid are now trying to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, according to AS.
The Red Devils have the Englishman on their radar as a plan B should a move for Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba fall through.
Additionally, Man United will also look to sign Wharton next summer if they manage to get their hands on Baleba.
The Old Trafford club have plans to pair the two midfielders together going forward.
Their head coach Ruben Amorim sees the Palace star as a deep-lying playmaker capable of complementing Baleba to complete his system.
However, Madrid now want him, and Sport claim he has been identified as a perfect replacement for Luka Modric.
They are ready to offer big money for the €80 million-rated Man United target, and the Red Devils will not have any chance of signing him if the La Liga club make a concrete move.
Their new manager Xabi Alonso has identified him as the man for the job, and joining Madrid ahead of Man United remains more appealing to players.
The Old Trafford club have also yet to make any more for Wharton so far, which has given Los Blancos a chance to pip them to his services.
Baleba remains the priority for the Red Devils, and their hierarchy will look to move for him after their shortcomings in the middle of the park were exposed against Fulham on Sunday.
They have to be ready to offer top dollar – around £120m or above – to have a chance of luring the Seagulls to the negotiations table.
Man United cannot afford to continue this season without a midfielder in the mould of Baleba or Wharton.
They have less than seven days to get a deal for either player done, but Madrid could be standing in their way for the Palace star, which could be bad news for Amorim.