The Louis van Gaal effect; potential Manchester United XI come August

Mats Hummels – an ambitious target, but completely worth it

Mats Hummels (CB) – Rumored interest; 23million pound market value

Simply put, he is far and away the best center-back in the Bundesliga, and absolutely key for Die Mannschaft.  So, why then would Manchester United have a shot at landing him? Well, for starters, United are a bigger club than Borussia Dortmund, and given the fact that Bayern Munich have not expressed interest, they face little competition by way of prestigious clubs coming in for him.

The problem United face however, is the lack of Champions League football in offer at Old Trafford in the coming season.  Prestigious they are, boasting LvG as a manager, world class players and plenty of money to make him happy, but a player of his quality will want to feature in the continental competition.  His strong relationship with manager Jurgen Klopp and his team mates is another stumbling block as well.  The other side of the coin though, is Dortmund’s ability to challenge Bayern domestically has grind to a halt.  They have already lost Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski to the Bavarian giants, and any further loss of key personnel (such as Marco Reus or Ilkay Gundogan) may see him opt for a new challenge as well.  He’s an ambitious target, but one United absolutely need.

On the whole, every aspect of his game is quite strong, and his ability on the ball as a defender coupled with his distribution from the back make him a fantastic addition to any side that is coached by LvG.  He will no doubt cost upwards of 30million pounds, but with the rumored 200million pound war chest available, that will not be an issue.