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Football News & Rumors: Manchester United shows interest in Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci

| Jul 22, 2016 02:08 AM EDT

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci.

Paul Pogba is not the only Juventus player that attracted the interest of Manchester United as the English Premier League giants have also expressed their desire to acquire the Italian Serie A champions' top defender, Leonardo Bonucci.

The 29-year-old Italy international is a key part of head coach Massimiliano Allegri's three-man backfield in Turin that is also composed of Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli. The said backfield group was responsible for the stingiest defense in the Italian top flight last season, allowing only 20 goals for the whole 38-game term, en route to their fifth straight Scudetto.

ESPN indicated that Bonucci's name was "brought up in negotiations over Paul Pogba", who United head coach Jose Mourinho disclosed as their targeted "fourth signing" this summer.

The club is currently negotiating with the Old Lady for the French midfielder's signature that would cost the Old Trafford giants a mammoth fee of more than £100 million, smashing the current world transfer record of £85 million set in 2013 during Gareth Bale's sale to Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur.

Sources in Manchester are said to be "confident" that the Pogba deal will finally be completed this week and so Bonucci will be targeted next as Mourinho wants to sign a second center back to be his final signing this summer before embarking on their quest to bring back the Premier League title to United next season.

So far, the Portuguese mentor has pulled off three incredible signings in the offseason with Eric Bailly's move from Villarreal last month, Zlatan Ibrahimović's free transfer on July 1, and the recent acquisition of midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund.

Meanwhile, Caught Offside reported that United's English top flight rivals Chelsea and Manchester City are also interested in getting the services of Bonucci with the latter's recent £38 million transfer bid already turned down by the Turin residents.

The report claimed that the 6-foot-3 Viterbo, Italy native has become Pep Guardiola's "number-one defensive target this summer" following his strong showing in the recently concluded Euro 2016.

However, Mourinho and the Red Devils said to have the upperhand over the Blues and Citizens in snagging the Italian as the Special One is keen on partnering Bonucci with Bailly in the center of his team's revitalized backline next term.

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