Having spent over £200 million on new playing staff since being in the hotseat at Old Trafford, Louis van Gaal has been making a large statement in the transfer market and with this brings certain pressure.
In truth, United are always under to pressure to win silverware by their loyal band of supporters and given the fact the last trophy they won was the Community Shield under David Moyes – if you can even count that – there is an onus on the Red Devils to stop the rot this term.
This summer, Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Sergio Romero have all arrived at Old Trafford but despite these five new incomings, the papers suggest United are far from finished in the market.
Still requiring a centre back, striker, a potential replacement for David De Gea, not to mention the papers linking Lucas Biglia with Manchester United this week, United fans haven’t known a summer like this in a long time.
Given their fans often refer to them as the biggest club in the world, it is no surprise that United are linked with an entire plethora of transfer targets each and every summer, so much so that we’ve devised an entire XI’s worth of them here.
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Click on the image below to reveal the ultimate Manchester United transfer linked XI.
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Jasper Cillessen
One of United’s more recent transfer targets, several papers have gone with the story that Ajax’s Jasper Cillessen is the number one replacement target if David De Gea ends up departing Old Trafford.
According to recent reports by The Guardian, they claim De Gea is staying after all and won’t be joining Real Madrid this summer but with the window still open for a few weeks yet, this tact could change easily.
Cillessen has of course already played under Louis van Gaal for the Netherlands at the World Cup last summer and on the face of it, he looks a goalkeeper with enough calibre and international pedigree to succeed De Gea.
Nathaniel Clyne
Earlier in the transfer window, it looked as if the signing of Nathaniel Clyne was taking place in a straight fight between both Manchester United and Liverpool.
As the image shows above, Clyne opted to sign for the Reds in a £12.5 million deal and since penning a contract on Merseyside, the Daily Star reported quotes from Clyne himself with suggested it was Liverpool or bust for him this summer.
The former Southampton man claimed: “As soon as Liverpool showed their interest in me, I was happy and just wanted the deal to go through. Everything went well, so I am happy.”
If the truth be told, United fans couldn’t care less right now with van Gaal having eventually swooped to sign an alternative in Matteo Darmian from Torino and after his debut against Tottenham, United fans were left impressed.
Sergio Ramos
Earlier in the window, United fans got awfully hysterical when even BBC Sport claimed that the Red Devils had prioritised swoops for both Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sergio Ramos this summer.
At that stage, United fans could be mistaken for thinking the club were operating under something imitating a Galactico policy and while they got their hands on the German, they unfortunately didn’t get a deal done for Ramos.
At one point, Sergio Ramos was reportedly quoted as claiming he wanted to join United but it appears the Spanish international was taking United around the houses all along amidst earning himself a new deal at the Bernabeu.
John Stones
If you thought Chelsea were the only interested party in Everton’s John Stones this summer, think again with Metro recently claiming that Manchester United could yet land the England international.
With the Blues having failed with two separate bids to land the former Barnsley youngster, United are planning on sending the error-prone Jonny Evans to Goodison Park as part exchange while including cash of course.
This is a deal United fans would like their club to pursue with Stones really looking like a player who could perform at the top level at centre back for the next decade or so.
Nicolas Otamendi
We don’t blame our Red Devils regulars by the bar to have been rolling their eyes at the sheer mention of Nicolas Otamendi all summer long.
Rumoured to be on the verge of joining for several weeks now, only for United fans to read that Valencia are playing hardball and won’t be letting him leave after all, the very latest is that Manchester City could even snap him up with United turning their attentions to the aforementioned John Stones.
Otamendi has been rated at £35 million all summer long and despite being an experienced international with Argentina, this is still an incredibly expensive fee to pay for a player who has no Premier League experience.
Pedro
Fully expected to be the next big name arrival at Old Trafford to replace Angel Di Maria, we think United are making a fantastic move for a player with quality and experience in abundance.
In truth, Pedro would probably not be giving up on playing for his dream club Barca had he been playing regularly but following the arrival of Luis Suarez last summer, he’s had to be content with a place on the bench.
Now 28-years-old to boot, Pedro is in the peak of his career and simply has to be playing week in, week out for one of the world’s biggest clubs.
United are exactly that and even Fernando Torres has stuck his oar in recently claiming: “He is a good friend, and if he decides that England is the next step in his career, I am sure he will do very well there.”
Paul Pogba
Was he ever going to leave Juventus this summer?
Well perhaps only for the likes of Barcelona or Real Madrid but this didn’t stop several papers including Metro from claiming that Pogba was cleared for a United switch after a move the Camp Nou fell through.
The French international was of course infamously sent packing out of Old Trafford by Sir Alex Ferguson and with that move ultimately having proved a mistake, United were being linked with ridiculously amounted bids to try and prise him back.
Make no mistake; Pogba is now referred to by pretty much everyone as being in the world class category right now and whoever ends up signing him from Juventus in the next few seasons will have to pay a rather hefty, potentially world record breaking bid.
Lucas Biglia
Never mind Pedro, somebody who could beat him to the entry doors at Old Trafford is Lazio’s Lucas Biglia with several reports including The Express claiming that a deal has now been agreed with the Argentine set to become the third defensive midfielder to arrive at Old Trafford in one summer.
United fans have found it rather strange that van Gaal has been keen on tying up a deal for Biglia given the fact Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin have already arrived at the club this summer.
Given the fact Arsenal haven’t managed to land even one defensive midfielder this summer in an area they definitely need to strengthen, United fans are feeling rather smug.
In terms of squad depth, it is absolutely fantastic for United who now look to boast one of the strongest midfields in the entire Premier League.
United fans will just hope Biglia and Pedro’s signatures are supplemented by another striker and centre back arriving.
Nico Gaitan
Will he, won’t he, will he, won’t he.
Manchester United fans have been sick of asking themselves that question over the last four transfer windows or so with Benfica’s Nico Gaitan a long-term target of the Red Devils.
Even up until a few days ago, outlets such as The Express have claimed a deal for the Argentine international’s signature is imminent.
United fans aren’t buying it at all until he is pictured in a Red Devils jersey however with Gaitan’s impending switch having endured more false dawns than we care to remember.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
One of the most ridiculous summer transfer rumours concerned Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a potential switch to Old Trafford.
The maverick Paris Saint-Germain forward was so intensely linked with a Red Devils transfer at one point that he even spoke out publicly about the speculation.
The Mirror referenced the legendary Swedish international with the big ego who claimed: “He (van Gaal) was a director in Ajax, and the way he is working is not the way I work.”
As we’ve seen countless times, it’s always Zlatan’s way or the highway so even though he was reported as being open to a United switch, given his heroic status at the Parc Des Princes, this was always a rumour to be placed in the silly pile.
Harry Kane
Of late, publications such as The Guardian have referenced Tottenham’s stance that Harry Kane is definitely not for sale this summer but proceeding this have been several reports that have linked United with a £40 million swoop.
Right now, Kane is a talisman and club ambassador in the Gareth Bale mould and for Daniel Levy to part with him would send out all of the wrong signals as the North Londoners bid to finally breach the top four again.
Earlier in the summer, van Gaal claimed he had a “surprise” signing up his sleeve and while United’s interest in Kane is anything but a secret, it would still be a surprise to see him in a Red Devils jersey by the start of September.
