Manchester United transfer news: Kalidou Koulibaly and Milan Skriniar among summer targets after quiet January

It has been a quiet January transfer window in terms of incomings at Manchester United, with no additions made to caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first-team squad.

At the start of the month, signings were considered unlikely unless an opportunity arose which simply could not be passed up.

No such opportunity came and United’s position remained the same. For a club that spent lavishly and perhaps wastefully of late, it is a sensible one to take.

This would be a transfer window spent preparing for United’s post-Jose Mourinho future and the lengthier summer market, which tends to be more fluid.

By then, the identity of Mourinho’s permanent successor will be known and - whether it be Solskjaer, Mauricio Pochettino or another - they will help to shape a new squad.

United may also, by that point, have found their new director of football, who will be responsible for the club’s transfer business.

It is difficult to identify potential targets and problem positions until those two positions are filled but United’s interest in strengthening defensively is no secret.

Kalidou Koulibaly, the Napoli centre-half, has admirers at Old Trafford - as well as all over Europe - and leads a list of potential additions that almost exclusively hail from Italy.

Inter’s Milan Skriniar and Milan’s Alessio Romagnoli were both linked with Old Trafford before the January window, as was Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic.

Mourinho held an interest in Milenkovic and watched him play for Serbia in October but whether that interest is renewed under a different manager remains to be seen.

Elsewhere, the departure of Marouane Fellaini only leaves United with fewer options in a position already lacking depth.

A central midfielder is likely to be sought, especially if Fred fails to adapt to Premier League football, and a younger holding midfielder to provide competition to Nemanja Matic would also be desirable.

Ander Herrera’s contract expires this summer, though the club remain in negotiations with the Spaniard and his compatriot Juan Mata.

However, the most important signing may be that of David de Gea, whose Old Trafford contract will expires in 18 months’ time.

Whoever the new manager may be, they will know that keeping De Gea - and not losing him in a cut-price deal or on a free transfer - is key to returning United to their former glories.