Old Trafford side chase Bundesliga tough tackler.
Man United boss Louis van Gaal will look to bring in a strong defensively minded central midfielder in January and has earmarked a move for Wolfsburg star Luiz Gustavo.
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The Old Trafford side have sent chief executive to Germany to discuss the Brazlian international’s availability and will hope that a £22m bid will be accepted by the Bundesliga side.
Gustavo left Bayern Munich for the Volkswagen Arena in the summer of 2013 and enjoyed an excellent debut campaign, with his side narrowly missing out on securing a Champions League berth, and van Gaal hopes he can persuade the box to box performer to move to Man United when the transfer window re-opens.
Van Gaal brought in Daley Blind over the summer to help provide a steely presence in the centre of the park but feels he could also do with another combative performer and is said to be a big fan of Gustavo.
The 27 year old is adept at breaking up opposition advances and also possesses the ability to spring forward and make his mark in the final third and having spent seven years plying his trade in Germany Gustavo may be open to a fresh challenge.
Man United’s owners are ready to hand van Gaal significant transfer funds to help boost the club’s chances of securing a top four finish though the Dutch manager is also ready to sell a number of midfielders to help clear space for arrivals in this area.
Marouane Fellaini, Anderson, Darren Fletcher and loaned out England man Tom Cleverley are all set to be made available to prospective buyers.