As the competition for the Champions League places heats up, the pressure levels are increased and Manchester United will now be hoping their experience prevails.
Locked in a five-way battle for third and fourth spot, United are aiming to outrun Southampton, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool in the coming months to achieve their season goal of qualifying for Europe.
Last season was a huge shock for the players when they finished seventh under David Moyes and they don’t want a repeat of that under Louis van Gaal. United are a title-winning side and lifting trophies is something the fans, players and club are used to.
It wasn’t like that before the work former boss Sir Alex Ferguson did at the club during his reign as he made the Red Devils into one of the most successful clubs in history and one that many top players wished to play for.
And now with Van Gaal in charge, he is hoping to make his own memories and so far he’s done that with some marquee signings. Despite results not going United’s way throughout the season, the 63-year-old has added quality with Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Daley Blind arriving to name a few. It bodes well for the future but you can also see that extra spice is needed to make them an elite side once again.
United lack pace and it has troubled them – especially on away days – and that’s something that needs to change, so with that said, the Daily Star have reported today that the Red Devils have bid £117 million for 25-year-old Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale.
The world-record price will raise eyebrows, especially as players are needed in a number of positions so spending such a large fee on another attacking player could hurt their chances of landing other key targets.
As a result, we have taken a look at four players United should sign with that huge sum of money instead.
United are in need of a right-back and the soon to be 24-year-old fits the bill perfectly.
Clyne is mature, quick and an England international who has no fear. So far this season, you could say he has been one of Southampton’s best players alongside Dusan Tadic and Morgan Schneiderlin.
The trio have looked composed and confident under new boss Ronald Koeman - it wouldn’t be a surprise to see all of them at a bigger club in the next two years with one arriving at Old Trafford. However, for United and Clyne specifically, they should be moving to secure his services early with his contract running out in 2016, according to Goal.
The former Crystal Palace defender played during Sunday’s 1-0 win over United and his performance was impressive. Clyne was able to sniff out attacks and he kept Luke Shaw, 19, pegged back with the Englishman failing to beat his opposite number on a number occasions.
United’s current first-choice defender Rafael has been plagued by injuries this season and United who are used to having strong wing backs need assurances ahead of a hectic next season. Clyne is that man.
It has been a very interesting 12 months for the German World Cup winner and that is set to continue heading into 2015 with his current club in a somewhat crisis.
Borussia Dortmund, a team used to challenging for the Bundesliga title and European honours, are currently in a relegation battle with the side struggling massively in the league.
The 25-year-old has played a part in that despite his injuries and manager Juergen Klopp will be looking for a revival when the season gets back underway.
Hummels has been injured for half of the campaign but he’s still managed 10 appearances, though his fitness is a worry and Van Gaal will most likely want a defender who is capable of playing regularly for such a large fee.
He doesn’t quite have that yet with Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans always picking up knocks and United need a consistent leader after the departure of Vidic, who served the clubs so well during his eight years at Old Trafford.
Although Hummels is having an average season so far, his stats of winning 63% of his headed duels while completing over 70% of his take-ons will impress Van Gaal.
Diego Godin from Atletico Madrid is another target, according to the Daily Star, but with Hummels’ future the more uncertain, United should focus their eyes on the Dortmund rock.
The Dutchman has to be included and it’s no surprise with his name always linked to the club.
Ever since Van Gaal arrived in July, Strootman's name has been on people’s lips with the pair enjoying a close connection.
The Roma midfielder was the Netherlands' main player in their World Cup qualifying campaign and he was set to be the focus of everything that went into their quest for a first world title. However, it wasn’t to be with the 24-year-old suffering a devastating blow when he damaged ligaments in his knee late on in the season – forcing him to miss the tournament in Brazil.
Eight months on, having recovered and returned to full fitness, Strootman is now back in the first-team and playing regularly again under Roma boss Rudi Garcia. Many reports have said that the midfielder is keen on joining United, but the deal may not happen until the summer. He’s managed an 85% passing accuracy this season but his strength and presence will give United another dimension.
Marouane Fellaini is currently that player for the club but with Strootman’s ability to be more mobile, it could be a real boost if United secure the Dutchmen.
Attacking midfield: Marco Reus (£20 million buyout clause, according to Karl-Heinz Rumenigge - via Bild)
United are in for Bale but why not just look at Reus, a player with the same talents who will cost considerably less.
Reus is hot property across Europe at the moment and with Barcelona unable to buy players until 2016, many clubs have been alerted including United.
It’s now reported (via Daily Star) that Bayern Munich, Chelsea and United are all to varying degrees interested in his signature but the Red Devils could be one step ahead after letting Shinji Kagawa go back to the German side in the summer. Football is a business and a good relationship with the club always helps certain sides when it comes to transfers.
This could be the case for United and Van Gaal should move for the 25-year-old goalscoring midfielder. Reus has been unlucky this campaign with injuries but last season he was a regular who could complete a large number of games.
He can regain that form with a full pre-season’s training and United are aware of that. So far in this 2014/15 campaign the Dortmund man has netted three goals this season while creating 20 opportunities. He has also completed 56% of his take ons in just seven games.
That’s an impressive double stat and the German alongside Di Maria in midfield could be the spark the Old Trafford outfit need. Reus also works hard (won 59% of his tackles this season) and with Van Gaal’s strict philosophy of putting the opposition under pressure without the ball he is the perfect fit for the Dutchman
