Old Trafford boss looks for defensive fix.
Man United boss Louis van Gaal is keen on strengthening his Old Trafford defence and has identified Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar as the ideal man for the job.
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The Dutch manager knows the Villa Park centre-back well, using the 29 year old in a prominent role in his 2014 World Cup finals squad, and is confident that an offer for his services will be accepted by American owner Randy Lerner.
Vlaar has been in solid form for Aston Villa this season but has been unwilling to sign a new contract and the former Feyenoord man now has less than a year to run on his current deal which has left Aston Villa vulnerable to January offers for the no-nonsense defender.
Man United chief executive will line up a £9m bid for Vlaar, which could tempt Villa into a January sale in preference to a likely free transfer exit at the end of the season.
Vlaar is reportedly very keen on a move to Man United where he would provide some much needed quality at the back with Louis van Gaal having seen his defence crumble far too easily this season.
Man United brought in Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo from Southampton and Sporting Lisbon respectively but have still had to draft in young centre-backs Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair to help fill the void left by departing veterans Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.
Things have not been helped by Phil Jones’s injury lay-off and Jonny Evans’s poor displays, with Man United conceding nine goals in their opening six Premier League fixtures, as well as conceding four away at League One side MK Dons in the Capital One Cup.
Vlaar is an experienced campaigner who would provide a cost-effective fix in January and a player van Gaal feels is ideal for the job of solidifying his back-line.