The players the Red Devils have been linked with and who they should actually sign…
BBC Sport have picked out Manchester United’s top nine transfer targets of the January transfer window, but assuming they don’t sign all of them, which players should they primarily be chasing?
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There have been plenty of defenders linked with Louis van Gaal’s side, as well as the likes of Real Madrid star Gareth Bale. But here’s who we think United should be signing in order of priority:
9) Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica)
Has never played in a major European league, and while he has impressed for Benfica, they have to be question marks over how the Argentine international would take to a career in English football.
8) Sami Khedira (Real Madrid)
Undoubtedly has class, but United cannot afford another injury-prone player, and the German World Cup winning midfielder has struggled somewhat in recent years. Plus United are already pretty strong in his position.
7) Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina)
Another South American star who has endured an indifferent run of form so far this season, causing interest him to fade. The Colombian would still be a decent buy, but not at the sort of prices that have been suggested.
6) Virgil van Dijk (Celtic)
Looks unlikely to leave Celtic during the January transfer window, and even if he did, he wouldn’t be a huge upgrade on what Van Gaal already has at his disposal, he’d do better to wait for the right player.
5) Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
Talk of a £100m plus move looks wide of the mark to say the least. Even if United did hold an interest in the player, there are other areas of their team that need work, especially considering their strength going forward.
4) Kevin Strootman (Roma)
A player Van Gaal knows well from his time with the Dutch national team. Has also struggled with his injury record in the last 18 months or so, but would certainly add some grit and determination to the United midfield.
3) Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao)
One for the future perhaps, the young defender has bags of potential, but United need someone that can come in and make a difference straight away. Perhaps making him the third of three candidates…
2) Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa)
Another Dutch World Cup star, Vlaar is experienced at Premier League level and is available on the cheap with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. Would be a good short-term option for United.
1) Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid)
But based on quality alone, if Untied could get the Atletico star, they would be doing incredibly well. A deal looks unlikely due to his importance to the Spanish side, but the summer window proved we shouldn’t underestimate United’s spending power.
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