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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has admitted that signing a dynamic midfielder will be his top priority next summer. The Dutchman has already spent over £150 million in transfers during the last transfer window.
Despite the likes of Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and Ander Herrera being brought into the club last summer, Louis van Gaal still feels his team is lacking a dynamic midfielder who can dictate play from the midfield.
The absence of such a player has seen Wayne Rooney shifted to a makeshift midfield role in the interim. However, the England captain is thought to be a stopgap until Van Gaal can acquire a suitable player for the role.
Van Gaal admitted that Rooney in midfield was more out of necessity than preference. He said, “The last games I played with Adnan Januzaj and Angel Di Maria in the midfield positions. Then you need a certain balance for those kind of creative players.”
“So when you have these creative players and you think that (Radamel) Falcao and Robin van Persie are also creative, then you have four creative players. Then you have to look for balance in your team.”
Van Gaal wants to add a midfielder to the team next season
When inquired if acquiring a top creative midfielder would be a priority when the transfer window opens next summer, Van Gaal said, "Yes, of course."
United were linked with a host of midfield options last year, namely Roma’s Kevin Strootman, Juventus’ Paul Pogba and his team-mate Arturo Vidal. Strootman is known to be one of Van Gaal’s favourite players, with the 63-year-old building his Holland squad around the 25-year-old when he was managing the Oranje.
Strootman suffered a serious knee injury last year, prompting him to miss the World Cup and seems to have picked up another injury shortly after coming back. The current injury will keep Strootman out of action till the end of the season. However, a summer move could still be on the cards depending on his fitness.
Paul Pogba has also been linked with a return to Old Trafford after leaving England for Juventus due to the lack of first team opportunities. The 21-Year-old Frenchman has established himself as one of the most sought after young midfielders in the planet since.
Rooney content to help the team
The Manchester United captain is supposedly content with his new role and happy to sacrifice his favoured position for the team but admits that the striker may still be yearning to reclaim his place as striker.
Van Gal said, “He's happy. Otherwise, he should come to me and say he's not happy and he never does. He's always friendly to me. He wants to perform what I want so that's what I see.”
“Of course, when the whole world is writing he has to be in the striker's position, he will be thinking 'maybe, hey'. He's human.”
Van Gaal refused further comments on ongoing criticism
Veteran striker Kevin Davies stirred up a controversy by saying the United team doesn’t look happy under the Dutchman’s tutelage. The former Bolton Wanderers striker said, “They're not exciting as they used to be but the club has had big change.”
The 63-year-old has been under fire as a result of United’s unimpressive performances lately. Paul Scholes and Sam Allardyce had already commented on similar grounds. Van Gaal said, “I can't react to everybody's opinion. There's such an amount of opinions from fans, and I don't think he is a fan.”
Van Persie to miss FA Cup tie against Preston
Van Gaal, who takes his team to Preston in the FA Cup on Monday, confirmed that striker Robin van Persie might miss the game owing to an injury. United will be without Michael Carrick at Deepdale after he suffered a setback in his recovery from a calf injury. Daley Blind should return after managing to shake off his head injury.
