Manchester United have put a £5million asking price on goalkeeper Sam Johnstone who is currently on loan at Aston Villa but could be sold by Jose Mourinho in the January transfer window.
West Ham, West Brom and Crystal Palace have all watched 24-year-old Johnstone impress for Villa this season and the Championship club are worried their No1 will be snatched away if a Premier League side match United's valuation.
Villa, whose manager is former United captain Steve Bruce, would love to sign Johnstone on a permanent basis themselves but have to sell-to-buy as they are close to falling foul of financial fairplay regulations.