The January transfer window arrived with a ton of transfer rumors and reports swirling around Old Trafford but when it eventually closed, it did so with Manchester United having not made a single move. Manager Louis van Gaal has made it clear that he still intends to bolster his roster with the midfield – a particular area he wants to address – but obviously it can’t be done right now. That means fans of the Red Devils have already turned their attention to the summer transfer window and the names being linked to a potential move.
Here is a look at three key players that have been talked about in the latest Manchester United transfer rumors.
Koke – M (Atletico Madrid)
It will be interesting to see how much it would truly take to lure the 23-year-old native of Madrid away from Atletico. There could end up being quite the bidding war as both Manchester City and Chelsea are also looking to land the star midfielder, so don’t be surprised if the final price tag ends up being astronomical. Atletico could command more than just money for their star midfielder and according to reports, United could be willing to use Juan Mata in an attempt to sweeten the pot for Atletico. Van Gaal has made it clear he wants more creativity and fluidity in his midfield and adding a talented young star like Koke would be a massive addition. They’ve had a really tough time scoring goals in away games this season and one of the reasons for it has been a lack of creativity in the midfield. They have 28 goals in 13 home games but just 15 in 12 away games.
This Manchester United team is still one or two key pieces away from becoming a league championship contender, but Koke could be one of those missing links.
Yacine Brahimi – M (Porto)
The rumor is that Koke remains van Gaal’s top priority but reports indicate a contingency plan is already in place if United fails to land the most coveted name on its list. The Red Devils would reportedly be willing to proceed with a bid of 29.5 million euros for the Algerian star. The 25-year-old has been outstanding for Porto this season and on top of being a creative playmaker his level of finish has been excellent as well. That was evident when he scored a hat trick on his debut in the Champions League proper against Bate Borisov last September.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hIKymGChyw
As is the case with Koke, United would undoubtedly have to fend off rivals in order to acquire Brahimi and City could be the biggest obstacle in its way. There have been reports that City has already had a meeting with Brahimi’s representatives and that is just one of a number of big clubs that would be interested in acquiring his services.
Kevin Strootman – M (Roma)
One more name that has been linked to Manchester United for some time is the 25-year-old Strootman. The Dutch midfielder is a favorite of van Gaal because of their Dutch connection. He was a regular in Holland’s rotation until a knee injury forced him out of the World Cup. The former Netherlands boss would love to bring him to Old Trafford with an opportunity for him to play an integral role in the middle of the field for the Red Devils. Strootman has been linked to a potential move to United since last summer’s transfer window and while the club could be reluctant to sign him to big money. That’s because he suffered another knee injury (ACL) at the end of January that will keep him out for the remainder of the season. But there’s definitely a level of trust here and the investment would be far lower than the aforementioned two players. And there will also be much less competition. They might just be willing to take a chance on him if van Gaal feels the potential risk is worth the reward.
