Three centre-backs Manchester United could target after Jurrien Timber blow

According to Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan, the 21-year-old has been put off joining the 20-time English champions by Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal.

"Absolutely dead in the water. The player I think was ready to come, his agents went over to London, to Manchester United's officers two weeks ago, had very good talks. The money was never a problem," Van der Kraan told Sky Sports News.

"But then one man turned up, Louis van Gaal. He told the player in the Dutch camp, look if you go there I think your chances could be limited for playing for Holland in the World Cup three months later.

"Now for Jurrien Timber, a great Ajax style player, a ten Hag style player, that was a bit of a blow. Louis Van Gaal made it clear that he would not be in his Dutch team if he was playing every week for United."

As a result, Man United will seemingly now be forced to look elsewhere in their pursuit of a new central defender, and here Sports Mole picks out three potential options for the club.

Pau Torres (Villarreal)

Having seemingly missed out on Timber, it would not be a surprise to see the Red Devils now accelerate their pursuit of Pau Torres, who seems destined to leave Villarreal during this summer's transfer window.

The 25-year-old made 47 appearances for the Yellow Submarine last term, playing a key role in the team reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Tottenham Hotspur were strongly linked with the defender last summer, but he wanted to stay with Villarreal in order to represent them in this season's European Cup.

Torres is now believed to be ready to leave his Spanish club, and with a release clause of £55m, it seems likely that he will be on the move ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

Man United would likely face a host of competition for the Spain international, but he has the potential to develop into a leading central defender for the club.

Lisandro Martinez (Ajax)

New Man United boss Erik ten Hag will be very familiar with Martinez, having had the Argentina international at Ajax, and there has been a host of speculation surrounding his future in recent weeks.

The 24-year-old featured on 37 occasions last term, including eight outings in the Champions League, and the fact that he is a left-footed centre-back makes him even more appealing to a number of top clubs.

The South American is believed to be admired by Barcelona, though, while a recent report claimed that Arsenal had been in touch with Ajax to make an offer.

According to The Athletic, the Gunners have had a €30m (£25.7m) bid turned down but are preparing to return with a fresh offer.

As a result, Man United might need to move more quickly if they are to sign the central defender, who has won two league titles and one Dutch Cup since arriving at his Amsterdam club in 2019.

Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan)

Alessandro Bastoni's future has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks, with a number of teams, including Tottenham and Man United, said to be interested in his signature.

The Italy international was again a vital player for Inter during the 2021-22 campaign, making 44 appearances in all competitions, including 31 outings in Serie A.

Bastoni only has two years left to run on his contract at San Siro, though, and there have been suggestions that he could depart during this summer's transfer window for the right price.

At 23, it would be safe to assume that there is more to come from the centre-back as he matures, and it will be interesting to see whether he makes the move to England's top flight this summer.

Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof are all set to remain at Old Trafford, but the team struggled defensively last term, and Bastoni would certainly believe that he is good enough to secure a starting role at Old Trafford if he makes the move this summer.