With the Dutch manager in charge of who comes and
goes at Old Trafford this summer - and with plenty of money to spend -
expect a bigger period of upheaval than in 2014
One key difference is that Louis van Gaal is now calling the shots so those arriving should come with his blessing.
There is still plenty of money in the coffers, of course, and, with Memphis Depay already recruited for €31 million, the spending is only going to continue.
Transfer Tagets
Nicolas Otamendi has emerged as a major and attainable defensive target. Mats Hummels had been high on the list since last summer but is more likely to stay at Borussia Dortmund for another year.
Otamendi was the standout centre-back in Spain last season and United's interest, despite public insistence otherwise, is real, just as it was when he left Porto for Valencia initially on loan 18 months ago. Goal understands that the Argentine wants to join United above any other club so the signs look positive, even if the Spanish side are demanding around €47m. His compatriot Marcos Rojo also appears very keen to seal the deal; last week he favourited a tweet asking him to tell Otamendi to hurry up and sign.
Interest in Nathaniel Clyne has gone truly cold. United had looked favourites to land the highly rated Southampton right-back, whose contract expires at the end of next year, but contact between the two parties has ceased in recent weeks and Liverpool appear to now be in pole position.
With Dani Alves signing a new deal at Barcelona despite a big offer from United there is no real right-back target on the market. Matteo Darmian of Torino is closer to Bayern Munich and Van Gaal trusts youngster Paddy McNair.
As revealed by Goal on Saturday, United's desire to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham is real. Despite Spurs' immediate hands-off warning, Ed Woodward will tee off his interest by offering a number of players in a package worth up to €68m. It will certainly test Daniel Levy's resolve to keep hold of a fledgling Tottenham hero.
Nico Gaitan has been linked to United every summer for the past three or four years without him arriving and it seems unlikely he will arrive at Old Trafford this year. Lazio's Felipe Anderson (pictured below) has many admirers at Old Trafford but the Biancocelesti are planning to build their Champions League campaign around the Brazilian and president Claudio Lotito is a notoriously tough negotiator.
Another player unlikely to make the switch is Paul Pogba. United have, like every other major club in Europe, been keeping tabs on their former prospect but a combination of factors - including the cost and lingering bad blood - have combined to make a deal almost impossible. United are looking at central midfielders and Ilkay Gundogan and Morgan Schneiderlin are of interest. The former is certain to leave Dortmund this summer and is also desired by Barcelona, who have a transfer ban until January 2016.
Woodward will be frustrated in the pursuit of his dream target. Manchester United would sign Gareth Bale today if made available by Real Madrid but their desire to keep him, as well as the player's own determination to stay in Spain and prove himself, mean that a deal this summer is extremely unlikely, even if United could afford to break the world record once again.
Hugo Lloris, Petr Cech and Samir Handanovic are the three main possibilities to replace outgoing goalkeeper David de Gea, although the latter is close to signing a new contract at Inter.
Reports of a meeting between Woodward and Karim Benzema's agent are wide of the mark but he would also tempt United if he were made available this summer.
Player Who Could Leave
De Gea, as revealed by Goal on Monday, is set to leave. The Spain goalkeeper wants to go back to Real Madrid and everything suggests that United will sell him this summer rather than wait and let him go on a free next year. All that remains is to set the fee.
With Falcao's loan move ended so swiftly, many expect Di Maria to leave United this summer too. Both men, who arrived to so much fanfare last year, had difficult seasons at Old Trafford.
But despite repeated links with Paris Saint-Germain (whose attempts to sign him last summer, like Manchester City, were thwarted by FFP) and admiring glances from Bayern Munich, Di Maria is more likely to stay in England. He is already showing what he can do while on international duty with Argentina (he scored twice against Costa Rica on Saturday ahead of their Copa America campaign) and would be a real asset next season if he can replicate his best form.
Another man striving to show what he can do for his country this summer is Javier Hernandez. The striker will contest the Gold Cup for Mexico, having left Real Madrid following a loan spell of his own. He believes that he has a chance to play for United this season, as Van Gaal swells his squad for European competition, and he may be right. The reality, though, is that the Dutchman is waiting to sign other players. Once he does, the Mexican is free to leave. Southampton are big admirers.
Indeed, it promises to be quite a summer of overhaul in the striking department. Robin van Persie has hinted that he could leave and was in Rome last week, officially on holiday. Lazio have been constantly linked, while Juventus have also shortlisted the Dutchman as a potential replacement for Fernando Llorente.
Any deal is likely to be complicated by his huge wage packet, however. United may be forced, and are willing, to subsidise half of the final year of his contract in order to move him on.
Jonny Evans has attracted interest from Everton and could follow Tom Cleverley to Goodison Park for around £10m. Rafael has failed to win the trust of his Dutch manager and will be allowed to leave, while Adnan Januzaj, so promising under David Moyes, could be offered to Spurs as part of any move for Kane.
Nani will return from his loan at Sporting but will be allowed to go, although like Van Persie his wages will complicate matters - and he has three years left on his deal. Anders Lindegaard will leave despite De Gea's exit and Angelo Henriquez has no future at Old Trafford despite enjoying life on loan at Dinamo Zagreb.
No comments:
Post a Comment