5 January Signings Manchester United Fans Would Love To See at Old Trafford

As David Moyes' fourth month in charge of Manchester United comes to a close, and with the champions of England floating in and around recently uncharterd parts of the table, thoughts have already turned towards who the Red Devils can bring in during the forthcoming January transfer window.

United fans were disappointed with a summer of sleight of hand and misadventure in the market when trying to land some of the biggest names in Europe. Thiago Alcantara followed Pep Guardiola to Bavaria, Cesc Fabregas fluttered his eyes towards the Reds with zero intention of consummating any relationship, and Cristiano Ronaldo made all the right noises about a sensational return until Sir Alex Ferguson decided to sail off into the sunset.

The inability to complete the deals for both Leighton Baines and Ander Herrera compounded the failure of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's first window in charge, with Marouane Fellaini being David Moyes' only notable capture.

Here are five "realistic" targets whom supporters would like to see in Red in the very near future...

Ilkay Gundogan

Manchester United fans are obsessed with one area of the team, and that is the club's paper-thin midfield. And there is one man who could solve these problems: Borussia Dortmund action hero Ilkay Gundogan.

German international Gundogan first came to prominence in 2011 and has been a mainstay at BVB since that time, winning the Bundesliga title and reaching the 2013 Champions League final. Despite an injury-hit start to this current campaign, Gundogan is very much one of Europe's hottest properties and is a ready made solution to United's lack of genuine quality in the centre of the park.

With the defensive options of Carrick and Fellaini, the 23-year-old would have The Faithful swooning at the opportunity to finally have a top-class central midfielder pulling the strings for the team.

Gundogan once described United as his "dream club," per Jack Wilson of the Daily Star, and after protracted negotiations on a new contract with Dortmund, a lucrative move to Manchester might attract the player. Rumours are abound that Real Madrid already have an agreement in place for the player, per the Express, but nothing has been confirmed.

At around £25 million, Gundogan falls well within the Glazers' transfer budget.

Luke Shaw

David Moyes' pursuit of a new left-back is no secret, with his pursuit of Leighton Baines becoming public knowledge over the summer. However, should United wish to bid for a rising star instead of an established player, Southampton's Luke Shaw would be ideal.

Shaw only made his full professional debut 18 months ago, but he is no stranger to the aficionados of youth football. He made his debut for the South Coast club's U-18 academy team at only 15 years old and became a regular. The technically gifted teenager has been compared to Gareth Bale for his attacking prowess and could offer United the width that their wingers have failed to produce for some time.

With Patrice Evra being edged ever closer to the door, a January bid for Shaw would not be out of the question, with United rumoured to be offering a loan-back option until the summer as they did with Wilfried Zaha when he moved from Crystal Palace.

Shaw's potential star quality is undoubted, but for this reason he will come at the very top of his market value. It could be a case that Baines ends up being the cheaper option. Shaw has previously spoken of his desire to play for his boyhood club Chelsea, per Carl Eldridge of the Daily Star, so Woodward would need to work hard to secure any deal for the player.

Koke

Legend has it that Manchester United once very nearly signed the young Xavi, before his rise to prominence in the Barcelona first team. Now they are focusing on the player many feel will take the Spanish genius' midfield crown.

Jorge Resurreccion Merodio, better known to his friends as Koke, is a product of Atletico Madrid's youth academy and has been in their first-team squad for four seasons. The prodigal 21-year-old has earned rave reviews for his midfield performances in La Liga, and David Moyes is thought to be a great admirer.

One tempting factor for United is his release clause, set at only £16 million according to the Daily Star. The full Spanish international would be a steal at that price, with his value rocketing in the next few seasons with game time and good form. He would give United that control they lack in the centre and allow others to play positively off him.

Ross Barkley

It does not take a leap of faith to see David Moyes move for the biggest product of his Evertonian youth system since Wayne Rooney.

At 19 years old, Ross Barkley has already represented England at every level, and his excellent early performances this season show just how fast he is developing. The young Liverpudlian is the purest example of a British attacking midfielder. He is full of power and intent, both mobile and a goal threat.

As with Luke Shaw, his legend at youth level will see him move for a huge fee, but one United surely could meet with ease. However, any move for Barkley may depend on the form and future of Shinji Kagawa, or if Moyes plumps for an established Continental-style midfielder instead.

Once again, United may look at a loan-back deal to ensure the player gets the sufficient playing time to develop and to allow him to compete for a place in the England international squad for the upcoming World Cup. Moyes may well feel that he needs an established star rather than a promising youngster in such a problematic tactical position.

Marco Reus

Our final choice represents what would be Manchester United's most ambitious bid of our targets listed here, one with whom the fans would immediately fall in love.

The rise and rise of Marco Reus at Dortmund has not gone unnoticed by anyone in Europe. The brilliant German would come at an astronomical price. A genuine goalscoring midfielder, Reus would instantly solve United's stagnant wing-play. After passing on an offer for Mesut Ozil, Moyes may well feel that Reus is more of a classical Manchester United player who would fit his system and supply the ammo for his strikers.

A wing combination of Reus and Adnan Januzaj would scare the whole of Europe and have The Faithful swinging from the Old Trafford rafters.