It may seem like the transfer window has only recently closed however Manchester United coach Louis Van Gaal will have seen enough in the opening few months to ensure he is in the market again in January.
The Red Devils sit in fourth place, in the lucrative final Champions League berth, with 11 points from a possible 21. Despite spending a cool £150 million on new faces however, United have struggled to convince their loyal fans that they can compete for the Premier League title.
We take a look at five transfer targets that United may look to pursue.
1) Ron Vlaar – Aston Villa
An improvement in current form has shortened United’s price for the title with Betfair but few punters are convinced that Van Gaal has built a Premiership winning team as yet.
Defensively, United are still struggling to cope with the loss of their spine with Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra all departing in the close season. Recent reports suggest that Van Gaal could call on a familiar face in Aston Villa’s Ron Vlaar to shore up the back line. Vlaar is a stalwart in the Dutch national side and is out-of-contract at the end of the season.
With two years under his belt in the Premier League, the 29-year-old defender could be a useful addition in the short-term. Whilst Villa may be unwilling to let go of their stopper, Van Gaal’s relationship with his Dutch compatriot could be crucial.
2) Mats Hummels – Borussia Dortmund
If Ron Vlaar isn’t the glamorous star United fans have come to expect, Mats Hummels certainly is. The German international has made clear he is in no rush to leave Borussia Dortmund, but with the club sitting 13th in the Bundesliga , the 25-year-old may finally make the move away from the Westfalenstadion in 2015.
United would face stiff competition from the likes of Barcelona for the ball-playing defender and would have to convince the World Cup winner that the Premier League is where his future lies. In bringing the likes of Di Maria and Falcao to Manchester already, Van Gaal is clearly up for the challenge.
3) Dani Alves – Barcelona
Adventurous Brazilian full-back Dani Alves has made no secret of his desire to spend the final years of his career in the Premier League. At 31, the player has confirmed that this will be his final season at Camp Nou with his contact expiring in the summer. Alves has spent the last six years in Spain making over 300 appearances for the Catalan giants.
One potential stumbling block could be wage demands with a reported £250,000 a week being touted to lure the Barcelona star to England. Van Gaal will be well aware though of the importance experience could be for his side, particularly if they are to return to the Champions League next season.
4) Kevin Strootman – Roma
Should United’s high spending from the previous window continue into January, Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman could find himself in Manchester before the end of the season. Roma have made clear they value the towering midfielder at around £75 million although any final deal would likely be closer to £50 million.
Strootman is recovering from knee surgery and is expected to return later this year but that has not quelled the rumours of a possible move and the 24-year-old remained tight-lipped recently when quizzed on his future. An imposing and athletic figure, Strootman would provide effective cover to a fragile defence.
5) Arturo Vidal – Juventus
Reports in Italy over the weekend have again linked Chilean attacking midfielder Arturo Vidal with a move away from Serie A champions Juventus. Vidal was recently fined around £75,000 by the Italian side after he was involved in an altercation ahead of a crucial league fixture against Roma and is said to be considering his long-term future.
Although United have an abundance of quality attacking players, a rumoured swap deal seeing Juan Mata moving in the opposite would possibly suit both sides with Vidal offering a more commanding presence than his Spanish counterpart.
