Man Utd Planning January Swoop For €69m-Rated Duo

The summer transfer window may be closed but managers are already thinking ahead to the January window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Man Utd are linked with a double swoop.

Manchester United are already making plans for the January transfer window with Louis van Gaal eyeing a double swoop for Kevin Strootman and Mats Hummels, according to the Guardian.

United were the biggest spenders this summer with the former Premier League champions splashing out around £150m on Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind as van Gaal completely re-shaped the squad he was left by former boss David Moyes.

However, while the Dutchman is understood to be pleased with his summer business, it appears his revolution isn’t yet complete as the Guardian claim he still has significant funds available for January and is planning on bringing in a central midfielder and centre-back during the winter window.

The newspaper suggests that van Gaal’s key target is once again Roma’s €37.5m- rated midfielder Kevin Strootman and United are expected to make a serious play for the 24-year-old in January if he’s fully recovered from his knee injury.

van Gaal knows Strootman well from their time together in the Dutch national team and he’s expected to return from his injury this autumn, so a move to Old Trafford could be on the cards if the two clubs can agree a fee.

Strootman is a real box-to-box midfielder and would be the all-action player that van Gaal is looking to add to his team following his failed attempts to sign Arturo Vidal from Juventus this summer.

The other position United will look to strengthen in January is at centre-back and the Guardian claim they will make another move for Borussia Dortmund skipper Mats Hummels.

The German defender was strongly linked with a potential €31.5m (£25m) switch to Old Trafford all summer but Dortmund refused to do business and United eventually signed Argentinean defender Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon.

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However, it appears the Red Devils will have another try this winter but the report suggests that United realise a deal is probably more realistic next summer than in mid-season. If that turns out to be the case then van Gaal will have to decide whether to stick with the defensive options he’s got and wait until the summer to land Hummels, or bring in another target in January.