The Croatia centre back has proved to be a revelation for the Saints following his £8.5million move from Lyon less than a year ago, and United are ready to offer them the chance to make a quick profit on the player.
According to reports, David Moyes has asked United officials to look into a deal for Lovren, and the club are ready to slap in a £15million bid in the summer.
United are on the lookout for at least one top quality defender, with Nemanja Vidic already confirming he’s leaving the club to sign for Inter Milan.
Rio Ferdinand could also depart, with suggestions that he could retire or move to the MLS, so United are in the process of identifying targets.
Southampton have always maintained that they won’t sell their best players, but flogging Lovren would free up cash and mean they stand more of a chance of being able to fend off big bids for English stars Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Jay Rodriguez.
Written by Steve Milne