Jose Mourinho will make a stunning move to grab Mesut Ozil from Arsenal this month.
The Manchester United manager has been given the go-ahead by the club’s money men to make a bid of up to £35million for the Germany star.
But the Reds face a battle to tempt Gunners boss Arsene Wenger to sell even though Ozil is out of contract in the summer.
Mourinho would prefer a deal then – but fears an auction with Paris Saint-Germain, while Bayern Munich are also keen on the 29-year-old playmaker.
With the Glazer family, who own United, prepared to hand Mourinho £80m in this transfer window it’s a deal the club could easily afford – particularly as they no longer have Wayne Rooney’s £300,000 weekly salary on their wage bill after his move to Everton.
Ozil is demanding that level of package and United are prepared to negotiate a deal if Arsenal want to cash in.
Mourinho is also keen on £50m-rated Tottenham left-back Danny Rose, even though Luke Shaw has returned in recent weeks.
But Old Trafford bosses have their reservations with the 27-year-old England full-back Rose still not fully fit after a long spell out injured.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy wants £50m for Rose but Woodward thinks that’s an inflated value even though rivals Manchester City paid the same hefty price-tag for the Londoners' right-back Kyle Walker in the summer.
That’s caused some friction, with the United boss making his feelings clear.
But Mourinho knows he’ll be backed to spend big in the transfer market next summer and insists his dialogue with the Old Trafford board is amicable.