Jose Mourinho will spend £15m on this defender in the January sales

The new Manchester United manager spent £145.3 million in the summer on his main targets Paul Pogba, Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan with Zlatan Ibrahimovic snapped up on a free.

But Mourinho wanted Fabinho, 22, as a fifth major signing but couldn't get the deal done in time.

WANTED: Mourinho was keen on Fabinho in the summer

Mourinho had a detailed dossier on the Brazilian and worked with him when he was on loan at Real Madrid in 2012.

But Monaco's Champions League play-off victory and qualification for the group stages strengthened the French club's resolve to keep him - at least until the January window.

That's when Mourinho will finally get 6ft-2in Fabinho who will fit into the right back role so superbly filled by Antonio Valencia.