Cologne close in on loan deal for Man United striker

FC Cologne are hopeful of securing a six-month loan deal for Manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf, according to reports in Germany.

Diouf emerged as a target for the Bundesliga outfit last month, when he revealed his desire to quit Old Trafford on a short-term basis, in order to continue his development.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a loan stint at Blackburn Rovers last season, playing 26 times, but has since struggled to make an impression on Sir Alex Ferguson.

A selection of other European clubs have also expressed an interest in the player, but Cologne, managed by Stale Solbakken, have an advantage.

Solbakken's brother, Norwegian super-agent Jim Solbakken, is Diouf's agent, and already represents a number of German-based talents.

Should the deal go through, Diouf would follow in the footsteps of former Red Devils winger Zoran Tosic, who impressed on-loan at Cologne in 2010 with five goals in 13 matches, before winning a permanent move to CSKA Moscow.

The Senegalese striker is not the only United player looking to move on loan, with fellow forward Kiko Macheda searching for first-team football, while goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak is interesting Sunderland as a potential emergency switch.