And Kinnear is also understood to have Arsenal's Denilson on his transfer window shortlist.

Left-back Riise joined Italian AS Roma from Liverpool in a £4m deal this summer, but has struggled to establish himself at the Stadio Olimpico.

And Arsenal Wenger, a personal friend of Kinnear's, might be willing to let defensive midfielder Denilson – who scored in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Newcastle early this season – leave on loan until the end of the season.

Kinnear – who could still be in charge at St James's Park when the transfer window opens on January 1 – has not named his targets, but he has hinted at their identities.

"I've already got my shortlist ready, and I'll be giving it to Mike (Ashley)," Kinnear told the Gazette. "We need two players in as soon as possible, and I have them in mind.

"One is with Roma, and he's not in the team at the moment. The other's a player who has already scored against us this season.

"I know their agents and what they would be is loan deals from January until the end of the season. I already know that the player in Rome would cost us £2m to bring him over here.

"We need to strengthen the team and the squad, and if we can get them, they would be a big boost because both are top-class players."

Another player to have scored against United this season is Blackburn Rovers defender Christopher Samba, centre-half being another area which Kinnear feels needs strengthening.

But left-back is his No 1 priority, and the Gazette revealed on Tuesday that the club has again been watching Samba's Ewood Park team-mate Stephen Warnock.