Manchester United’s need for a quality box-to-box midfielder has long been a topic of discussion around Old Trafford.

The pursuit of a genuine replacement for veteran Paul Scholes may, however, be postponed until the summer as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side lead rivals Manchester City by six points at the top of the Premier League table.

Blackpool winger Tom Ince and PSV Eindhoven’s Kevin Strootman are among those being monitored by the Red Devils, but the club cannot afford the likes of Inter wantaway Wesley Sneijder, with signing and developing young players the best available course of action.

Sir Alex’s side are not without their problems despite their advantage in the league standings, meanwhile, with their prolific attack masking some defensive worries.