Manchester United to make January move for Yoshinori Muto

Manchester United are preparing a move for Japanese striker Yoshinori Muto in January to alleviate their problems up front. The Red Devils have had a disappointing run so far this term, scoring only 22 goals in 17 league matches.

The Mirror reports that United have earmarked the forward position as the main culprit behind their indifferent form, having failed to win in any of their last six games in all competitions, having lost three and drawn the rest. The run of form also included falling out of the group stages of the Champions League and a massive downgrade in their league position, going from first to fifth in the matter of a month.

United have been keeping a close eye on the Mainz striker through the length of the season and are planning a £10m ($15m) bid to bring him to Old Trafford. The Bundesliga man has scored seven goals in 14 appearances thus far and will add some much needed pace and quality to the United side, which currently has only two recognised strikers in Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial.

Rooney has been in woeful form of late, scoring only two goals in the league thus far, while Martial scored his first goal in the league against Norwich City in two months, with his last goal coming against Southampton in September. The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea last summer but decided to move to Mainz where he has a contract running till 2019.

However, with United interested, the club may be forced to consider selling the player only six months into his appointment in Mainz. Sir Alex Ferguson is believed to be a huge fan of the player and has watched him develop since he was in charge of proceedings in Manchester. Ferguson retired from his services in 2013 after he won his 13th title with the Red Devils, with David Moyes taking charge.