Manchester United till date have managed to make just one major signing in this transfer window, that is Dutch youngster Memphis Depay from Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven. With Depay’s inclusion, the star-studded United attack force have become even more stronger but the problem lies in their back-line. In the last season newly appointed Dutch manager Louis van Gaal had spent a huge sum of money to procure three defenders Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw. All the three defenders are extremely talented and no one can judge their abilities, but the problem with the deals was that those three players were predominantly left full backs. After Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic left the club, the club was short of quality center backs. The ones in hand were Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, and Jonny Evans.
English international Phil Jones is an injury prone player and remains out of action for the majority of the season. Jonny Evans is a proven failure at the club. He is with the Red Devils since 2006 and is yet to deliver his best for the side. The only proper option which remains is Chris Smalling. While Smalling has delivered day in and day out for the club last season, it has to be kept in mind that the Englishman has his own limitations. Smalling is a perfectly average defender who has the potential to work very hard at the heart of the defense, but he can never be a permanent solution to an ambitious club like Manchester United.
Louis van Gaal thus quite sensibly is looking forward to making new signings in the defensive area to enhance the squad. He has made quite a few targets and the club is operating accordingly. We have decided to make a list of three defenders whom Manchester United can sign in the summer.
Mats Hummels
The German international was one of the major targets of Louis van Gaal for the upcoming season. The Dutch manager was ready to place a mammoth bid for the Borussia Dortmund captain. By the end of last season, Hummels was strongly linked with the Red Devils and many were convinced that the talismanic defender was heading towards Old Trafford. Borussia Dortmund had a terrible time last season. After a nightmare start to their league campaign the side finally managed to finish fifth in the league. This made it clear that the club will not enjoy Champions League football in the coming season.
All these factors played a vital role in stimulating the rumour of Mats Hummels leaving the German club for the Premier League giants. Unfortunately, all the speculations were put to rest after the player himself claimed last month that he has no plans of leaving Dortmund and would not make a move to Manchester United. While the speculations and rumours have stopped, you never know if the club actually reignites their interest in the defender and offers a huge transfer fee to Dortmund.
Nicolas Otamendi
Louis van Gaal’s next transfer target of the summer is Valencia CF’s star defender Nicolas Otamendi. The Argentine center back had a dream season in the La Liga this year for Valencia and was considered to be one of the best defenders in the league. The 27-year-old defender’s stellar performance helped his team to secure fourth position in the league and thereby earning a Champions League spot in the coming season.
Valencia conceded just 32 goals in the entire season which is less than La Liga giants Real Madrid. After Manchester United gave up on Mats Hummels last month, Louis van Gaal had immediately shifted his focus to Valencia CF defender. Nicolas Otamendi is physically strong and has great defensive abilities. He holds the capability of single-handedly leading a team’s defensive line. Phil Jones or Chris Smalling alongside Nicolas Otamendi will be great center back line-up for the Red Devils.
Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is currently one of the best central defenders in the world. The Spaniard is an integral part of Real Madrid squad and plays a pivotal role at the heart of Los Blancos defense. Ramos had joined the Madrid side in 2005 after coming up from Sevilla’s youth system. Since then the Spanish defender has spent 9 seasons at the club. He started his career as a right full-back but shifted to the central defense due to a need of his team. This clearly reflects the versatility in Ramos’ game. Unfortunately after spending 9 seasons at Santiago Bernabeu, Sergio Ramos had revealed a few days back that he is not happy with the wage structure at the club and this might force him to leave.
Being an important and senior member of the squad the defender demanded a yearly €10m contract but the club denied that demand and offered him €7m per year. Ramos has still not agreed to sign a contract extension. At this moment of turmoil Premier League giants, Manchester United have planned to cash in on the situation and are ready to place a transfer bid for the defender. Ramos is an extremely talented veteran defender who has the ability to provide stability to a team’s defense. He also holds the ability to score goals. Ramos will be an excellent choice for Louis van Gaal’s side this summer.