Man Utd prepare £12m bid for Ryan Shawcross

Manchester United will make a bid of around £12m to bring Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross back to Old Trafford in January, The Star reports.

The England international left the Red Devils to join Stoke City six seasons ago, having failed to cement first-team football under former boss Alex Ferguson.

According to The Star, United boss Louis van Gaal is keen on signing a top-class defender in the winter transfer window, and considers Shawcross as one of his prime targets.

The report adds that Shawcross is considered as a cheaper option compared to other targets such as Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels and Benfica's Ezequiel Garay.