Manchester United preparing £60m approach for Juventus defender Alex Sandro amid Chelsea interest

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has turned his attention to Chelsea target and Juventus wantaway Alex Sandro as he bids to finally solve his side's long-standing left-back problem, according to reports.

Sandro has developed into one of the best full-backs in Europe since joining the Italian giants from Porto in the summer of 2015 and was a key figure in Massimiliano Allegri's side that won a league and cup double as well as their successful Champions League campaign which ended in tears at the hands of Real Madrid, who ran out 4-1 winners in Cardiff.

Sandro's performances for one of Europe's elite clubs inevitably piqued the interest of the continent's most notable sides. Premier League champions Chelsea pursued the Brazil international in the summer and were apparently confident of striking the deal worth £60m ($80.7m) for the 26-year-old, but a move never came to pass.

Chelsea's failure to get a deal over the line has allowed United to muscle in on Sandro, who recently informed Juve that he wishes to leave Turin. United boss Mourinho has been afforded a budget of around £80m ahead of the January transfer window, according to the Daily Record, and has made Sandro his number one target with the futures of Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian uncertain.

United were said to be prioritising the signing of Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose, whose relationship with manager Mauricio Pochettino has been scrutinised in recent weeks, but Mourinho now seems intent on muscling in on Chelsea's transfer targets.

Juve would be loath to lose to one of their prized assets, but the club's chief executive Giuseppe Marotta revealed that the Bianconeri are willing to let Sandro or indeed any player that makes it clear of their desire to leave Turin go for the right price.

"We have said many times that when a player asks to be sold, regardless of prestige or importance within the team, we are in favour of a sale," he told Mediaset Premium, as reported by Football Italia. "When a player is unsatisfied, it is better to let him go."

In order to accommodate Sandro or any other new signing, United will listen to offers for Shaw and Darmian, according to the report. Both players have failed to establish themselves at Old Trafford with Shaw's contract set to expire at the end of the season while Darmian is attracting interest from Serie A.