Man Utd Boss Jose Mourinho Draws Up 6-Man Shortlist in Search to Replace Michael Carrick

Manchester United Manager Jose Mourinho has drawn up a shortlist of six high-profile names to replace retiring midfield general Michael Carrick.

A reports in the Manchester Evening News claims that the Portuguese manager is on the look out for at least one new midfielder to complement the likes of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba.

Carrick confirmed that he will retire from football at the end of the season, prompting Mourinho to start the search for his replacement, while he is keen to find a player who will emulate the 36-year-old's influence rather than style of play.

The report claims that veteran Chile enforcer Arturo Vidal is emerging as the top target for the United hierarchy due to his experience at the highest level at the game. However, his unwillingness to leave Germany could be a stumbling block to any move for the Bayern Munich man. 

This may mean that United will move onto other targets such as Marco Verratti and Jean Michael Seri. 

The other three names also mentioned on the list are Shakhtar Donetsk's Fred, Napoli's Jorginho and Lazio's Milinkovic-Savic - all of whom have been heavily linked with United in recent weeks.

United will face stiff competition for all targets on the list, with rivals Manchester City coming close to signing Fred during the January transfer window, although recent reports claimed the Red Devils may have the edge in the summer.

Jorginho's agent was reported to have been in Manchester during the international break, while both Manchester clubs and Liverpool are reported to be interested in the £35m-rated Italy international who has been likened to Xabi Alonso.

Barcelona meanwhile have also shown an interest in Jean-Michael Seri from French club Nice, while Milinkovic-Savic has emerged as one of Europe's hottest young properties this season