Manchester United Transfer Rumours: 8 Creative Players Linked to Old Trafford

On Sunday, Manchester United kept the gap between them and Premier League leaders Manchester City to just two points with a 2-1 victory at Norwich City.

United's goals were scored by Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, the latter netting in the 90th minute to mark his 900th appearance for the club with a vital winner.

However, that duo's combined age of 75 means that there will soon be a yawning gap in the creative midfield department at the club, one which must be filled both effectively and promptly.

Youngster Tom Cleverley looks set to take on his share of that mantle, but the Red Devils will need to recruit in order to take the burden off a 22-year-old who has still only made five Premier League appearances for the club.

United have been linked with a multitude of creative midfielders in the sports pages. Here are eight of those who have been reported as targets for the club recently. 

James Rodriguez

Any player dubbed "The South American Cristiano Ronaldo" will automatically be linked with a move to Old Trafford, and so it is that Porto youngster James Rodriguez is reportedly a target for the Portuguese star's former club.

The 20-year-old Colombian is enjoying a breakout year in his second season at Porto. He scored a hat trick in Porto's 6-2 win over Vitoria de Guimaraes in last season's Portuguese Cup final and since has gone from strength to strength. 

This term, he has already scored nine goals in 15 league appearances, and it is thought it would cost United around £38 million to prise him away from the Portuguese champions.

Nicolas Gaitan

Yet another Portugal-based target for the Red Devils, who have already had a good look at the Argentina international up close following the two draws Benfica secured with them in their Champions League group before Christmas.

Gaitan, who turned 24 last week, currently leads the charts in this season's competition in terms of assists. No player has matched the five goals he has set up so far.

Like Rodriguez, Gaitan would not come cheap. He has a release clause in his contract worth £35 million. As such, United's local rivals, Manchester City, are thought to be the front-runners in the race to sign him.

Christian Eriksen

One of the most coveted young talents in European football, Dutch giants Ajax face a fight to keep hold of the 20-year-old this summer.

The Denmark international has won many fans for his supreme technical ability, pace and vision, something United saw first-hand during their recent Europa League tie against the Amsterdam club.

A whole host of Europe's top clubs are thought to be interested in signing Eriksen, but United seem to be the club who feature most prominently in most of the reports regarding his future. 

Viktor Fischer

While Eriksen is the Ajax youngster who has been hogging the attention of all those thinking of raiding the Amsterdam ArenA for creative, there is another player at the club who United are also eyeing up.

Viktor Fischer, who is also from Denmark, is only 17 and is yet to make his first-team debut for Ajax, but that has not stopped reports emerging that he could be on his way to Old Trafford.

Being so young, the teenager is yet to firmly establish a position for himself and has so far played as a striker, left winger and No. 10 at various levels of youth football for Denmark.

Moussa Kone

Ivory Coast may have lost the African Cup of Nations final to Zambia last month, but the West African nation remains one of the most consistent producers of talent for the major leagues in Europe.

One of the latest players to emerge from the country is Moussa Kone, who is currently playing for Italian second division club Pescara on loan from Serie A side Atalanta.

The 20-year-old already has a full international cap to his name, and reports from Spain suggest that United are ahead of Sevilla in the pecking order to sign him. 

Mauricio Isla

After losing Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona last summer, many predicted that the bubble would burst at Serie A side Udinese. Instead, the Northern Italy club have continued to outshine more illustrious names in Serie A this season.

That is thanks in no small part to the continued goal-scoring excellence of club captain Antonio Di Natale, but also to Mauricio Isla, who has been a constant creative force for the Zebrette either on the right side of midfield or in the centre.

The Chilean has already confirmed he will be leaving the Stadio Friuli this summer, and United is reported to be battling it out with Liverpool for his signature.

Wesley Sneijder

This may not be one of the freshest pieces of transfer news out there. In fact, the presence of Sneijder in any round-up of United-based gossip seems to have been mandatory for the past 18 months or so.

However, Sneijder did come close to joining the Red Devils in the summer, only to end up staying at Inter Milan, where he has not been enjoying the best of seasons either on a personal or team level.

The Dutch playmaker said earlier this month that he does not know where he will be playing next season, effectively leaving the door open for a move the Old Trafford if the club are still interested.

Luka Modric

Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Luka Modric was also involved in one of the longest-running transfer sagas which did not come to fruition last summer, as Spurs staunchly refused his desired move to Chelsea.

The move appears to have worked out well for both player and club, and the north London side currently sit third in the Premier League and look odds on for a place in next season's Champions League.

However, with the uncertainty surrounding the future of Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, Modric is reported to be stalling over signing a new deal at White Hart Lane, and that could open the way for United to enter the race for him.