Red Devils eyeing three new signings at the back.
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Manchester United could be bringing in as many as three new defenders this summer in deals worth potentially £50m, according to various sources.
The Red Devils have been linked with a number of big names to come in at the back this summer, with new manager Louis van Gaal given the difficult task of replacing three long-serving members of the club’s back four in Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra.
The three made up part of a highly successful defensive unit in the late 00s and early 10s, and their exits follow on from the retirement of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson last summer, as well as the recent decisions for Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes to call time on their playing careers.
Still, with plenty of money to spend, van Gaal appears to have identified three top class signings to bolster his back four options ahead of the new season. See below for the £50m trio looking likely to come in before the end of the transfer window.3) Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal £10m)
Despite also being a top target for Barcelona, Manchester United remain firmly in the race to secure the signature of Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgian international has not had the best of times of late at the Emirates Stadium, falling behind Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny in the pecking order. Still, van Gaal seemingly rates him highly and at his best it is no surprise to see him lined up as an ideal like-for-like replacement for the departing Vidic.
A superb talent and a highly versatile one at that, Ajax defender Daley Blind is another player believed to be on van Gaal’s radar at the moment. The 24-year-old has excelled in the Eredivisie and it is thought that his club harbour little hope of keeping him as big clubs continue to circle. The likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have also monitoried him this summer, but it seems likely that his old Netherlands boss van Gaal will do his best to work with him again by bringing him to Old Trafford. Able to play centre-back, left-back or defensive midfield, it remains to be seen where his best role will end up being.
1) Mehdi Benatia (AS Roma, £30m)
A world class central defender, Mehdi Benatia has been linked with a host of top clubs this summer after his superb form in Serie A with Roma last season. After initially impressing at Udinese, the Moroccan international joined Rudi Garcia’s side at the Stadio Olimpico and helped them to the best goals-against record in the Italian top flight as they finished second to Juventus. Valued at around £30m, it is thought that van Gaal is ready to meet that asking price and bring this terrific defensive talent to United this summer, which would certainly go down as great business for the club as they look to get back into the top four.
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