Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has prioritised bringing in Carlos Soler from Valencia during the January transfer window, according to a report.
The Portuguese is said to have focused on signing the 20-year-old after missing out on Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic during the summer.
Mourinho still wants to get his hands on Perisic, but The Independent claims that funds will be more constrained in the winter window and attention has therefore turned elsewhere.
Due to Paul Pogba's lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Red Devils have reportedly been searching for a central midfield alternative and have been left impressed by Soler's displays.
The Spain Under-21s international, who only made his Valencia debut 11 months ago, is understood to be valued at around £40m, though United could offer Andreas Pereira in a player-plus-cash deal.