Manchester United have identified Udinese forward Luis Muriel as a potential replacement for England striker Wayne Rooney. The Metro believes David Moyes will offer the Italians £18m for the 22-year-old Colombian international.

Rooney's Old Trafford future is increasingly uncertain, following constant pressure from Chelsea. The west Londoners are understood to have made the 28-year-old a priority signing and have already made two bids, the last of which was worth in excess of £25m, according to the BBC.

Luis Muriel (C)
Reuters

The Metro believes United boss David Moyes is a big fan of Muriel and thinks he will be an excellent fit with the Premier League champions. The Colombian made 22 appearances last season and scored 11 times, with three assists to his name as well.

And his performances earned him attention from a number of other top clubs, with reports linking Liverpool and Spanish champions Barcelona to the South American. Interested clubs will have their work cut out though, with Muriel having been quoted as saying he wishes to remain at the Stadio Friuli for at least two more years.

"I have learnt so much here from boss Francesco Guidolin. Scoring 10 goals was the objective and I got 11, that is very satisfying. I managed to achieve two targets, seeing as the other was to help Udinese qualify for next season's Europa League," he explained to Gazzetta dello Sport.

David Moyes on Manchester United Challenge

Meanwhile, Moyes has admitted the task of managing the English champions has forced him into some very tough situations. The former Everton manager has had little to ease into his role at Old Trafford, following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.

"The transition from Everton to United has been difficult at times as I have hard decisions to make. Everton are a great club and I was proud to manage them. I can't deny Manchester United are on another level. Let's be honest, it would be a step up from just about any club in the world," Moyes said.

Manchester United FC Wayne Rooney