Manchester United - Key Transfer Targets

I recently read an article in a magazine about who Manchester United should buy in this January transfer window, and seriously got frightened with the viable options we are looking at. Manchester United in the past have made some seriously intelligent transfers with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Van Persie, Hernandez, and Nani coming in. These are some big transfers that we made. If you clearly look at Manchester United’s strategy in the past transfer windows, they have not spent too much, and gone for younger players with talent, buying them with the future in mind. But the last transfer window was a complete change, as we bought Kagawa, van Persie, with SAF showing that he is not afraid to get the big money players.

With the kind of players we have now at Manchester United we could win the Barclays Premier League, but on the big stage that is the UEFA Champions League, Manchester United are just not up there. The reason why United is not quite up there is the absence of a tough tackling midfielder at United, like a Roy Keane. And without a defensive midfielder in the United ranks, one can’t expect United to challenge with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, Juventus and so on. With Kagawa injured it will not be a surprise if SAF goes for a playmaker. Not to mention that Kagawa was an excellent purchase for United but his recent injury has moreover threatened United’s new-found diamond formation. With Patrice Evra getting older and showing an inability to keep pace with the challenges of Premier League, it would not come as a surprise if he signs a left back too. Manchester United, if sources are to be believed, are after a striker too given SAF’s lack of confidence in Welbeck.

These are the transfers that United could and should make if they are to be reckoned as a force in Europe:

1. Kevin Strootman - Dutch midfielder, 22 years old, could be right man for United in the central midfield.

2. Yann M’Vila - The french defensive midfielder is a man with great physical strength combined with impressive defensive capabilities.

3. Arturo Vidal - The Chilean midfielder, 25 years old , is one of the hottest targets in the transfer market and rightly so, as he has been proving his worth with Juventus.

4. James Rodriguez - The Colombian winger could be an answer to Ferguson’s left-wing worries with Nani highly under-performing. Rodriguez, aged 21, plays for FC Porto and has been in Sir Alex’s radar for the past year.

5. Gareth Bale - Bale is one of the best young left wingers in the Premier League. He has caught the eye of many top clubs with his exploits in the Premier League and could leave White Hart Lane.

6. Robert Lewandowski - The Polish footballer, 24 years of age, is one of the best strikers in Germany. Recent reports say that Sir Alex has set his sights on the forward and might sign him. Van Persie and Lewandowski upfront with Rooney just behind them would give him the most lethal attack in the Premier League.

7. Mario Gotze - Gotze, an attacking mid fielder aged 20 years could allow United to return to a diamond formation. His career is on a high, and Sir Alex will have to really strive hard to sign this highly-rated midfielder.

8. Leighton Baines - Baines, 27 years of age, has been the stand-out player for Everton. He is deemed to be the replacement for Patrice Evra.