Manchester United fans in the Transfer Tavern are convinced their side is in the title race but concede they need fresh faces in January.
Statistically with the best defence in the Premier League, with just eight goals conceded in 12 games, United’s problem has been in attack- so fans are happy to hear about the links with Newcastle United forward Ayoze Perez.
Despite that, they still believe their squad isn’t quite as good as close-rivals Arsenal and Manchester City; stating that more additions are needed in January to build a side capable of going all the way.
Fortunately, it seems Louis Van Gaal has similar ideas and United have been linked to a wealth of players in the New Year- all of whom will add a huge boost to the Red Devils squad, perhaps providing the crucial difference.
We’ve taken a look at five players who, like Ayoze Perez, could arrive at Old Trafford in January. Feast your eyes on these lot!
Hit Perez below to see FIVE players who could follow the Spaniard to Old Trafford!
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Hakan Calhanoglu
Manchester United have suffered a major problem with creativity this season so Hakan Calhanoglu, dubbed the new Mesut Ozil, is an obvious candidate to fix that. With the 21-year-old in their side, United can achieve- but they would have to pay £29m for the privilege.
Crucially though Calhanoglu is likely to leave Bayer Leverkusen at some stage in 2016 and he fits Louis Van Gaal’s demands of being a young player that can hand a boost to his predecessor, leaving a Van Gaal legacy at Old Trafford.
If Anthony Martial is the spearhead for that then Calhanoglu can be the engine.
Youri Tielemans
Another young player that would fit Louis Van Gaal’s needs is Anderlecht ace Youri Tielemans, reportedly available in the New Year for around £30m. A hefty sum for a young player but with Europe’s big-guns lurking, it’s what United will have to pay.
Tielemans is widely regarded as the nest big thing from Belgium’s incredible crop of talent, which says a lot considering previous breakthroughs have been Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne. If Tielemans ends-up being just half of one of those, he’ll still be a great player.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Don’t roll your eyes just yet, it appears there’s some legs in this one. Reports from the continent indicate that United will open talks with PSG for Ibrahimovic, bringing him in for a fee in January rather than the French side losing him for free next summer.
United need goals and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a renowned goal machine, capable of winning games against the highest calibre of opposition. If they want a striker, there’s not many better.
Paulo Oliviera
A defensive option for Manchester United is Sporting Lisbon’s Paulo Oliviera, a man that wants a move to Manchester United and could get it due to the injury absence of Luke Shaw. However, this deal likely hangs on Marcos Rojo’s future.
Louis Van Gaal’s public fall-out with Rojo may be on the back burner, with the Argentine back within the squad and impressing, but the Dutch manager could end up clashing with the player yet again. Should this happen, changes are likely.
Sadio Mane
Louis Van Gaal made it very clear this weekend he wants to sign a pacy winger that can provide a major improvement to United’s wide option and Sadio Mane, with his wealth of Premier League experience, could tick all the boxes.
Southampton, frustrated with selling all their stars in recent years, will demand a very high price but United will be prepared to pay it if it’s a player that they really want. After all, Van Gaal believes this sort of addition is what can win him the Premier League title.
