Manchester United: Red Devils leading race to sign Sporting Lisbon striker Islam Slimani

Manchester United are leading the chase for Sporting Lisbon striker Islam Slimani following the striker's impressive performances for the Portuguese club this season. The Algerian forward has scored 13 goals in 16 league games and this attracted interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League.

According to the Sun, the Red Devils have been scouting the free-scoring forward for the last two months with Louis van Gaal keen on bolstering his attacking department before the end of the ongoing January transfer window. The Red Devils have been hard pressed for goals in recent weeks, with Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial struggling to find the back of the net on a consistent basis. The former, however, is showing tendencies of getting back to form with four goals in his last three appearances but the latter has managed just two goals in his last 14 Premier League appearances, making it a cause of concern for the manager as they look to close in on the teams ahead in the table.

The 20-times English champions have slipped to sixth place in the Premier League table and are nine points behind joint leaders Leicester City and Arsenal and two behind Tottenham, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot. Slimani has been on the radar of English clubs since last summer with West Ham United and Tottenham showing interest, with the former even coming close to completing a move. United, however, are said to have moved to the top of the queue, with the report claiming the striker is keen on making a move to the Premier League.

The 27-year-old Algerian international has also attracted interest from the high-flying Foxes, with Claudio Ranieri also monitoring his progress. The King Power Stadium already have his compatriot Riyad Mahrez on their books and could rival United for his signature. The report claims that a bid in the region of £12m ($17.2m) could tempt Sporting into parting with Slimani this month.