Old Trafford side ready to spend big to repair reputation and help mount genuine Premier League title push.
It appears that defensive reinforcements will be priority number one for incoming Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal who has drawn up a seven player wish-list as he looks to spent a Man United transfer war-chest said to be worth somewhere in the region of £200m according to the Manchester Evening News.
With Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic all heading for the Man United exit one can see why the back-line would be in urgent need or repairing and the Dutch national team coach has earmarked moves for top quality additions to help fill the respective voids the defensive trio will leave.
Mats Hummels appears to be Man United’s top target and has been a long-term target for the Premier League club with Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes both said to have scouted the rock solid German international.
Borussia Dortmund have fallen well behind domestic rivals Bayern Munich and the departure of top-scorer Robert Lewandowski to the Allianz Arena side may well lead to other members of Jurgen Klopp’s squad considering their futures.
Hummels is rightly considered one of the best defenders in European football and could well be considered the ideal man to replace Vidic. The 25 year old could well be keen on a fresh challenge at Man United.
Dortmund are under no pressure to sell Hummels, with his current contract running until 2017.
Man United are reportedly hot on the heels of Dutch defender Bruno Martins Indi as incoming Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal prepares to re-shuffle his defensive pack according to Manchester Evening News.
The adaptable 22 year old can play at both centre-back and left-back and could well be tempted by the chance to follow his national team coach to Man United.
Indi has completed four seasons in Feyenoord’s first team set-up and has represented Holland on 13 occasions
Atletico Madrid defender Joao Miranda has had the best season of his career thus far and some sources had claimed that the Brazilian was the subject of a £25m bid from Man United in recent days.
Some speculation had even suggested that executive vice chairman Ed Woodward had triggered the 29-year-old’s release clause.
Whilst others claimed that Miranda had also started looking at schools in the Manchester area after agreeing a four-year deal.
Southampton teen Luke Shaw continues to be strongly linked with a move to Man United where he is seen as the ideal man to replace Evra.
The 18 year old has had an outstanding campaign and has matured into one of the hottest prospects in European football and his price-tag could continue to soar if he makes an impact at the 2014 World Cup finals.
Mauricio Pochettino’s St Mary’s exit has merely reinforced the suggestion that Shaw has played his last game for the south-coast side.
Kevin Strootman is another Dutch target and a player Louis van Gaal knows all too well from his time in charge of the national team.
The 24 year old is currently out with a long term knee injury that has ruled him out of the upcoming World Cup finals but that has not prevented the Old Trafford side from retaining an interest in the Stadio Olimpico man.
Man United targeted Strootman prior to his move from PSV Eindhoven to the Italian capital and are ready to make a bid for the £30m rated midfield general who is expected to be fit in August.
Van Gaal is also looking to bring in Toni Kroos to help bolster Man United’s midfield with the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher and Shinji Kagawa all fighting to stay at the club after average campaigns.
Dnipro winger Yevhen Konoplyanka is another on the Man United radar and it’s perhaps no surprise that the Old Trafford side would target wide attacking options this summer.
The likes of Nani, Ashley Young and Luis Antonio Valencia all failed to impress last season and Konoplyanka would no doubt jump at the chance of a move to Man United though Liverpool and Tottenham are also said to be keen on the Ukrainian international.
Dutch international Jordi Clasie is another on the Old Trafford wish-list and another player who could boost the club’s midfield complement.
Though just 22 Clasie has already racked up close to 150 top tier appearances and has seven national team caps to his name and is a player with a very bright future.
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