With the Netherlands national team boss currently one of the clear favourites to take over from David Moyes at Old Trafford next season, we look at five players the Dutchman may look to bring with him to the north west this summer ….
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Kevin Strootman (AS Roma)
The experienced Netherlands international may have recently suffered a season-ending knee-ligament injury playing for his club side, however, the midfielder is still expected to have recovered from surgery in time to start the new campaign.
And with Van Gaal known to be a huge fan of the 24-year-old’s, it would be no surprise at all were the Dutchman to try to recruit his compatriot as one of his first pieces of business were he to take over at Old Trafford this summer, especially given the fact that the centre of the park is an area of the pitch that the Red Devils are in desperate need of reinforcements, while the club have also tried to sign Strootman on several occasions in the past too.
Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
With Van Gaal having worked in the Bundesliga in the not too distant past while managing Bayern Munich, the experienced trainer will therefore know all about the blond-haired forward and his vast array of skills.
And with previous Red Devils boss David Moyes having reportedly scouted the Germany international on several occasions already this year prior to his dismissal, it would be no surprise were the Premier League champions to ask the Dutchman his opinion of the 24-year-old and whether he wished to continue with the deal, with Van Gaal sure to be the green light to such a transfer taking place this summer.
Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
The unsettled Belgium international has made it perfectly clear that he has no intention whatsoever of remaining at White Hart Lane this summer if the north London club do indeed, as now seems more than likely, fail to finish the season in the top four of the Premier League, and so do not make it into the Uefa Champions League in the process.
And with Van Gaal familiar with the centre back from his time spent at Ajax, when the Belgium was in the youth team, and with United certain to be in need of at least one new central defender at Old Trafford next season with both Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand set to quit the club this summer, then it would be no surprise at all were the Dutchman to lure the 27-year-old to the north west for next season.
Toni Kro0s (Bayern Munch)
The previous United manager had put in a lot of the groundwork to try and make this big-money deal happen this summer, however, the Scot’s sudden sacking on Tuesday morning is not expected to stop the Red Devils from trying to lure the highly rated young Germany international from the Allianz Arena to Old Trafford when the summer transfer window reopens for business.
In fact, the appointment of such a successful and well-known manager as Van Gaal to replace Moyes should actually improve the Premier League champions’ chances of landing the 24-year-old for next season, especially as the pair worked together during the Dutchman’s time in charge of the Bavarians.
Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund)
Another player who Moyes was trying to lure to the Theatre of Dreams just prior to his sacking by United and despite the 23-year-old recently agreeing to put pen to paper on a new deal that now keeps the holding midfielder in the Ruhr Valley until June 2016, rumours are still doing the rounds claiming that the player is keen to join the Red Devils this summer.
And if those stories have even an ounce of truth to them, then you would expect Van Gaal to follow them up as soon as he takes over in the north west this summer, even more so considering the fact that a new defensive midfielder will be one of the top priorities for whoever does eventually succeed Moyes at Old Trafford next season.
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