Clubs line up for Brown swoop?

 Wes Brown is on the wanted list of a group of Premier League clubs looking to boost their defences this January.

It could mean a temporary or permanent departure from United for the Mancunian.

Potential employers have been monitoring the 31-year-old’s lack of first-team opportunities with the Reds this season.

The Longsight-born player can operate at right-back or    central defence and Tottenham, Sunderland, Blackburn, Everton, Birmingham and Newcastle are keeping tabs on him.

Brown broke into Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad as a teenager in 1998 but appears to have fallen out of favour this campaign.

He has started just five matches and two of those were as an experienced head in under-strength Carling Cup teams against Scunthorpe United and Wolves.

The only time his name has been on Fergie’s starting team sheet for a Premier League match was in the November home fixture against Wolves and his last appearance was as a sub in the 4-0 Carling Cup defeat  West Ham at Upton Park last month.

For a man who was a strong candidate for a place in Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad in South Africa before breaking a bone  in his foot last March, his current United status represents the kind dramatic fall from grace that must be hard to stomach.