Rumour: Fabio Coentrao could leave for £12m, Manchester United interested

Manchester United could revive their interest in Fabio Coentrao in January, after the player was told in no uncertain terms that he may leave Real Madrid in order to save his World Cup dream, report the Mirror.

The Portuguese left-back has made just four league appearances for Los Blancos this season and only missed out on a loan deal to United on Deadline Day in the summer due to complications with the paperwork.

Having been already rebuffed by Everton over any potential move for Leighton Baines already this month, the Red Devils could well return to their second choice of the summer for the left-back role with Coentrao looking to get out of Real in order to safeguard his place in Portugal’s World Cup squad.

Real manager Carlo Ancelotti has given his blessing for Coentrao to find a new club as he has plenty of options at his disposal on the flanks of his defence and realises he needs to be playing if he is to achieve a seat on the plane to Brazil in June.

The left-back’s agent Jorge Mendes has already put the feelers out to David Moyes in the hope that he will still be keen on taking Coentrao to Old Trafford, with only the suspect Alex Buttner providing any competition to Patrice Evra in that position currently.

A price of £12m has been mooted as the asking price, but given Real’s willingness to sell and the player’s desperation to depart, that price could end up being a lot lower.

Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with a move for Coentrao, with doubts over whether Danny Rose is up to the task of anchoring the left-hand side of their defence.