Manchester United Transfer News: Have United Found the New Nani?

James Rodriguez would be an excellent addition for Manchester United.

Should the Red Devils pick up the Porto sensation over the summer transfer window, they would add another world-class player to their already star-studded squad, as well as another excellent attacking option.

But they might just do it at the expense of Portuguese international and United legend Nani, who fears he's being frozen out of Old Trafford—despite dropping his asking price twice in order to renew a new contract with the club.

According to Mirror Football, the Red Devils see Rodriguez as a possible replacement for the winger should he depart from the club. They have reportedly been tracking the Colombian international for a while, and have even travelled to South America to watch the 20-year-old play.

Currently rated in the £25 million range by his current club Porto, Rodriguez wouldn't come cheaply to United—although he has already indicated his enthusiasm and desire to play for the Red Devils.

"

For now, I keep thinking about Porto and about winning the Portuguese Liga title here. I am very happy here, but if you give me the option to go to United, I am not going to deny that I would like to play at a club like that. I can still give so much...

"

Rodriguez would no doubt be a strong player at Old Trafford given his versatility in midfield and attack, and at just 20, he would serve as a long-term signing for a club struggling with an aging midfield. 

However, he must only be looked as a replacement for Nani should the winger move on over the summer transfer window.

The Portuguese star has admitted his current feeling of isolation from the team and management at United and would be open to a move should no deal be agreed upon between the two teams, but that is no reason why the Red Devils cannot secure his services for the next few seasons at the club.

What is becoming more apparent is the impact that Shinji Kagawa is going to have on Manchester United, who are now faced with the problem of having too much depth in their squad and being forced to leave world-class players on the bench.

As I mentioned in a previous article, the addition of Kagawa and the excellent play of Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia last season would most likely see Nani drop from the starting side to the bench—which seems just ridiculous given his rich history and international stature. However, as obvious as it might seem, you can only have so many players on the field at one time.

Something has to give, and for United, the thing that has to give is Nani.

Should the international winger decide his future lies somewhere other than Old Trafford, Rodriguez would be an excellent fit at United and would mean that the Red Devils aren't impacted by the loss of their current star.

But it would open their eyes to a larger problem that is starting to occur over the summer transfer window—their squad is starting to fill up, and they will have to let players go in order to keep bringing in new additions.

It's not about Kagawa. It's not about Nick Powell. It's not even about Nani.

It's about a squad is just too deep—to the point world-class players cannot earn their way into starting sides—no matter what name might be on the back of their shirt.

Should United lose Nani as a by-product of this problem, they would lose one of their greatest players in recent years and a faithful servant to Old Trafford.

Losing a player like Anderson or Dimitar Berbatov is one thing; losing a player like Nani is a whole other thing, and a bitter blow for the Premier League contenders.

The Red Devils would have a more than adequate replacement in James Rodriguez, who should be pursued actively by the club should the Nani situation continue to transpire.

Expect him to score sensational goals. Expect him to be a dominant attacking option and a go-to player for the Red Devils. Expect him to make a name for himself at Old Trafford and to write his name in the United history books forever.

Just don't expect him to fix the problem—that's something that cannot be fixed.

Not by Kagawa, not by Nani and certainly not by him.

What do you make of the Nani-Rodriguez situation at Old Trafford?

Comment below or hit me up on Twitter—Follow @dantalintyre