Manchester United still interested in German World Cup winner

Manchester United have not given up on the pursuit of German defender Jerome Boateng despite their failure to lure him from Bayern Munich during the summer.

The World Cup winner was earmarked as the prime target for United boss Jose Mourinho during the backend of the summer transfer window but he could not convince the German to leave the Bavarian giants.

Despite this, Boateng continues to remain a key target for United heading into the New Year and they may seek to persuade him to Old Trafford following Bayern's average start to the season, Bild reports.

Like United, Bayern have surprisingly failed to live up to their expectations this campaign and they are currently facing a tricky challenge in the title pursuit after dropping seven points behind table-toppers Borussia Dortmund.

Boateng has more than two years remaining on his existing deal with Bayern and he was valued around the £50m mark last summer with interest from United and Paris Saint-Germain.