Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho reportedly approached Cesc Fabregas to discuss a possible move following his side's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

Fabregas was influential as Chelsea dominated the midfield battle at Stamford Bridge, with Alvaro Morata scoring the only goal of the game to hand the hosts all three points against their fellow title hopefuls.

Don Balon reports that Mourinho was suitably impressed with Fabregas's performance to talk to the Spaniard about the possibility of signing him either in January or next summer.

United have previously been linked with a move for the playmaker, who is known to enjoy a close relationship with Mourinho since signing for the Portuguese boss at Chelsea in 2014.

Injuries to Paul Pogba, Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini this season are understood to have convinced Mourinho that he needs more depth in midfield, with Fabregas thought to be near the top of his wanted list.

However, Fabregas recently revealed that he is happy at Chelsea and eager to sign a new contract at the club, despite still having 18 months remaining on his current deal.