Championship promotion contenders Leicester City are chasing Manchester United pair Jesse Lingard and Michael Keane to help boost their push towards the Premier League, according to Sky Sports.

Nigel Pearson's side are fourth in the table are 14 league games, having been knocked out of the top two following Saturday's defeat to Watford.

And The Foxes are seeking to bolster their squad with two of United's finest young talents, youth team duo Lingard and Keane.

Michael Keane
Keane featured in both of United's League Cup ties.

With United having been knocked out of the League Cup, the opportunities for the pair, both of whom featured in squads which faced Newcastle United and Chelsea in the club's only two ties to impress, are likely to be limited.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has often used the platform of Championship football to test his young players, with the likes of Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and Jonny Evans having all spent time in the second tier of English football before breaking into the first-team.

A move for the pair is understood to be on the verge of completion in time for the Championship clash against Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday. The move would come at a good time for Leicester, who currently have defenders Ritchie de Laet and Sean St Ledger out injured.

Meanwhile, following the defeat to Watford on Saturday, which saw Leicester slip behind the likes of current leaders Cardiff City, Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace, striker David Nugent said the status as the league's top dogs affected the club's performances.

"We looked scared," said Nugent, who netted a 71<sup>st minute consolation.

"The first half we were terrible, simple as that. We didn't look like we wanted it. The players didn't want to get on the ball like usual and it showed.

"The gaffer told us at half-time that it wasn't acceptable, and I thought we came out in the second and put up a good fight. But we just weren't good enough.

"We never pressed from the front, we weren't picking up second balls, they were lumping balls forward and getting through one-on-one all the time.

"We knew what Watford were going to do, we've been working on it in training. We knew their wing-backs were going to push on and get possession of the ball and we just couldn't cope with it."

Manchester United FC