With a month to go until the 2015/16 Premier League season kicks off for real, our Manchester United fans are feeling somewhat confused here in the Football Transfer Tavern.
By this point of the summer, our Red Devils regulars were expecting far more players to have already arrived at Old Trafford but at the time of writing, only Memphis Depay has arrived while Matteo Darmian looks to be the second incoming.
Instead, United have chased after what on the face of it looks like unrealistic targets in the shape of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sergio Ramos while toiling to get a deal done for Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin after seeing an initial bid rejected.
It may yet of course all fall into place for van Gaal and United but it is a little worrying that United’s pulling power seems to have diminished somewhat while the club have seen the likes of arch-rivals Liverpool move much quicker for reinforcements.
While our United fans are reminding everybody that quality over quantity is key, they would like van Gaal to get a move on in luring another centre back, central midfielder and striker to Old Trafford.
This has got our United fans thinking which players the Red Devils could regret not signing this summer transfer window.
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 players Manchester United will regret not signing this summer.
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Bastian Schweinsteiger
While Metro recently claimed that Manchester United have reportedly held talks with Bayern Munich regarding a swoop for Bastian Schweinsteiger, our resident Red Devils aren’t holding out much hope that a deal will be concluded.
A World Cup winner of course, United fans’ ears pricked up in the bar a few weeks back when the Red Devils’ interest in the German international was confirmed by BBC Sport but after Franz Beckenbauer warned the Bayern man to remain at the Allianz Arena, the rumour has fallen off the radar somewhat.
An ambitious transfer target, Schweinsteiger could still end up moving of course but we think Morgan Schneiderlin is much more likely to eventually complete a switch to Old Trafford.
While the French international would be a great signing, missing out on Schweinsteiger could be regretful with Louis van Gaal trusting the player after his time spent in Bavaria, not to mention the experience he would bring in a key area that needs strengthening for the Red Devils.
Petr Cech
While we know that it was pretty much Arsenal or bust for Petr Cech this summer who was hell bent on remaining in London due to his family being settled there, we’re still surprised that United didn’t make a play for his services.
Perhaps Louis van Gaal knew all along that Cech would complete a switch to Arsenal but with the David De Gea exit to Real Madrid now gathering pace after Iker Casillas agreed to join FC Porto, United are now in a dilemma regarding their number one position.
With Victor Valdes looking like he’ll be United’s new number one, most United fans would rather the Spaniard remained a second choice behind a new top class arrival.
Arsenal’s signing of Cech has been described as a game changing signing in most quarters and while a United switch was always going to prove difficult, it could be hard for United not to have the point saving abilities of a De Gea or Cech between the sticks with Valdes not as good as the aforementioned pair.
Carlos Bacca
Completing a summer switch to AC Milan after the Rossoneri met his £21 million buy-out clause, it had looked as if Manchester United were going to sign the now former Sevilla man at one point this summer.
Single handedly winning a second successive Europa League title for the Andalusian club last season, Bacca has been in formidable form in La Liga over the last few seasons.
If it wasn’t for the superhuman exploits of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring charts, Bacca’s goal haul would’ve stood out even more and despite the player being 28 (29 in September), we’ve seen with Robin van Persie in the past that players approaching their thirties don’t put United off.
Bacca could of course proven a flop in English football but given how accustomed he’d become to putting the ball in the net in Spain, we’re sure he would’ve had a much greater chance of succeeding than failing in the Premier League.
Sergio Ramos
This transfer rumour continues to rumble on but there are still no concrete signs as to whether Sergio Ramos will be a Manchester United player come the start of next season.
Previously reportedly claiming that he wants to join the Red Devils this summer, this statement was recently followed up by Sergio Ramos stating that all is well at the Bernabeu at present.
These rather cryptic sound-bites aren’t doing anything for the patience of United fans who think deep down that Ramos is simply messing them about as the transfer window continues.
Also interested in Valencia’s Nicolas Otamendi, we think United have more chance of pulling that deal off compared to Ramos but make no mistake, if there was any leeway to sign the Spanish international this summer, United need to move heaven and earth to land him as he’s simply a world class defender who’d improve their back line no end.
Nathaniel Clyne
While Liverpool made the first move for Nathaniel Clyne this summer after seeing an initial £10 million bid rejected before signing him for £12.5 million, in the interim, it looked as if Manchester United may be snapping the England international up.
It now looks as if the Clyne blow will be softened by the signature of Torino’s Matteo Darmian but at the same time, Clyne is already used to English football and would’ve been a ready-made replacement for the now surplus to requirements Rafael.
In the end, it appears Clyne bought into Brendan Rodgers’ English core mantra but a United full back duo of Clyne and Shaw was a rather excitable prospect that can now be looked back upon with some level of regret.
