Louis van Gaal wants to spend another £150m … £200m … £300m … you get the idea, to complete the “Gaal-actico” revolution. He wants a centre-back, right-back and winger. Mats Hummels is the real deal. He is also in a Borussia Dortmund team currently propping up the Bundesliga, although injury ruled him out of the start of the season. United went for him in the summer – winning the World Cup might have had something to do with that – but if second division football in Germany loses its appeal, then United could be on to something. Marco Reus, the injury-prone Germany attacking midfielder also at Dortmund, is another on United’s list.
But, stop me if you’ve heard this before, Kevin Strootman is also definitely a target, at £30m from Roma. He does not play in any of those three key positions United want to fill but if there’s a story around about United buying players, he is now contractually obliged to be mentioned.
Diego Godín put Atlético Madrid in the lead in last season’s Champions League final only to suffer heartbreak at the end. But he won La Liga in May and he has now fetched up on a piece of paper from down the back of Van Gaal’s sofa. He has an escape clause that is set at £28.5m. Small beer for United.
Dani Alves would be available on a free transfer from Barcelona in the summer. The right-back might not help United’s woes in defence, and he is 31 and was dropped by Luiz Felipe Scolari during the World Cup, but that shouldn’t deter anyone at Old Trafford.
Nathaniel Clyne did not win the World Cup but has been playing well for Southampton and has been called to England’s recent squads. Now United have homed in on him too. At £20m, that should not be a problem. And as Southampton do better the more players they sell, you imagine there will be no problem letting him go. Here at the Mill, we’re sure they have got a 12-year-old superstar waiting in the wings.
Van Gaal’s Dutch compatriot Arjen Robben is also in the mix, should United decide that dive-prone wingers are something they really need. He is 30 and would cost around £20m.
Anders Lindegaard, back-up to David de Gea, could be out next month, with Víctor Valdés to be offered a deal. He lucked out last season, did Valdés. It was the last year of his contract and he announced he was going to leave Barcelona, come what may. Come May, he had injured his knee so badly that no one wanted to take a chance on him.
Anderson, oh Anderson, will stay at Old Trafford, keep picking up the money, and will probably head back home to Brazil in the summer. Darren Fletcher could be off to Hull next month.
Javier Hernández, Tom Cleverley, Wilfried Zaha and Nick Powell have all probably played their last games for United. They are on loan at Real Madrid, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Leicester respectively, although Powell might have his loan spell ended early by Nigel Pearson.
Over at Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino is planning big things next month. A new bathroom? No. A nice holiday? No. Espanyol defender Hector Moreno is on Pochettino’s radar, even though he is recovering from a broken leg. That should be what Spurs fans want to hear.
Apparently, Barcelona youngsters Sergi Samper and Adama Traoré are also being watched and Pochettino wants to buy Jay Rodriguez from Southampton. And Spurs will listen to offers for Vlad Chiriches, Paulinho, Aaron Lennon and one-time England next big thing, Andros Townsend.
Alan Pardew fears Moussa Sissoko could leave Newcastle, one year after his French compatriot Yohan Cabaye left the club and six months after Mathieu Debuchy followed suit. Chelsea and Arsenal both like the look of Sissoko, the France international who is 25. If Arsenal sign him, does that mean Abou Diaby’s time would finally be up? Just the Rumour Mill thinking out loud.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are looking at Tyrone Mings, who plays for Ipswich. The Tractor Boys want £10m for the left-back, whom Arsenal want to play at centre-back in the long run.
Big Sam wants Ravel Morrison off his hands, again. The midfielder is heading back to Upton Park from his loan spell at Cardiff, and West Ham could ship him off to Burnley or Leicester.
