Things have been tough for the Red Devils at the back.
It has been a tough start to life as manager of Manchester United for Louis van Gaal in 2014/15, with Premier League defeats to Swansea City and Leicester City and a shock exit from the Capital One Cup at the hands of League One outfit MK Dons.
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One main area that has been pinpointed as failing is defence, with van Gaal likely to have to call on youngsters Tom Thorpe or Paddy McNair against West Ham United on Saturday with Tyler Blackett, Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling all out.
As a result the Red Devils have been linked with moves for several centre-backs and here are five they are targeting in the January transfer window.
Mats Hummels, Borussia Dortmund
It’s likely that this 2014 World Cup winner would be the first choice for most fans at Old Trafford, with Hummels seemingly having everything in his game except perhaps pace, although as captain of Dortmund the 25-year-old is unlikely to leave the Signal Iduna Park anytime soon.
Source:Â Independent.
Miranda, Atletico Madrid
This Brazilian was targeted by both United and Chelsea over the summer, but rejected them to remain at the Vicente Calderon Stadium, yet the lure of using Juan Mata in a swap deal could persuade Atleti to try and convince the 29-year-old otherwise.
Source:Â Daily Express.
Nicolas Otamendi, Valencia
This is another defender who has been targeted by several English clubs in recent times and was actually loaned out by Los Che last term, although he appears to be a more important figure at the Mestalla Stadium this time around and the Argentine would have a price-tag to reflect that.
Source:Â Mirror.
Gerard Pique, FC Barcelona
As a former Red Devils player the Spain international knows the Theatre of Dreams well and is currently on the bench at the Nou Camp with Javier Mascherano and Jeremy Mathieu the preferred partnership at the back for new head coach Luis Enrique.
Source:Â Mirror.
Ron Vlaar, Aston Villa
Finally it’s perhaps the least glamourous of the bunch, but is a player that van Gaal knows well from their time working together with the Netherlands national team and it was Vlaar’s World Cup performances that convinced everyone he is a top-class central defender.
Source:Â Metro.
Five Centre-Backs Manchester United Are Targeting In The January Transfer Window As Van Gaal Desperately Seeks Defensive Recruits
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