Manchester United Transfers: 5 New Players for Sir Alex Ferguson to Chase

With Manchester United set to miss out on Lucas Moura, and it looking increasingly likely that Robin van Persie will stay at Arsenal, Sir Alex Ferguson may have great difficulty making one more high-profile signing before the end of the month (via The Independent, The Mirror). 

But if he does want to further add to his squad, here are five options that he may not have previously considered.

The question of their availability is another matter.

Etienne Capoue, Toulouse

A known target for Premier League rivals Arsenal, Etienne Capoue would be a fine option to fill a rather gaping hole in United's squad.

The 24-year-old plays in front of the defence, rarely venturing forward, preferring to dictate the flow of the game from a deeper position.

Although he hasn't yet earned a call-up to the national team, Capoue has developed into one of Toulouse's most important players.

With the French club not opposed to selling, it might be worth Sir Alex looking into a possible transfer before the Gunners get there first.

Hulk, Porto

If Sir Alex was looking to boost his attacking options with a move for Lucas, Hulk would certainly be a worthy plan B.

He would be costly, though; a bid of over £30 million is needed to persuade Porto to part with him.

Hulk has scored an impressive 57 goals in all competitions for the Portuguese club over the past two seasons, so the price is justified.

He is fast, tricky and strong—his nickname no coincidence.

If rumours are to be believed, though, Sir Alex would have to fight off a number of London clubs for his signature (via Daily Mail).

Iker Muniain, Athletic Bilbao

Here is one player United know all about.

Having starred in Athletic Bilbao's victory over the Red Devils in last season's Europa League, Iker Muniain surely caught the eye of Sir Alex.

He is blindingly quick with excellent skill and change of direction.

At the age of 19, he will get even better, too.

Although it is doubtful the Spanish club would sell, he would be quite a coup if this were the case.

Stephane M'Bia, Marseille

Although doubling as a centre-back, Marseille's highly rated Cameroonian Stephane M'Bia can also play in a defensive-midfield capacity.

And with the French club having recently admitted that M'Bia may be sold this summer, he is an option Sir Alex would do well to look into (via ESPN).

He is tall and powerfully built—a player who takes no prisoners on the field.

If United were looking for a rock to sit in front of their defence, he may just be the right man.

Yann M'Vila, Rennes

My final pick came down to a straight choice between Rennes' Yann M'Vila and Cagliari's Radja Nainggolan, with the Frenchman winning by a nose.

Having developed into one of the finest prospects in the French league over the past couple of seasons, rumours surrounding M'Vila's future were rife before Euro 2012. The trail linking some of Europe's top clubs with the holding midfielder seems to have recently gone rather cold.

Unlike M'Bia, he is more of a technical midfielder than a physical one.

But his talent and potential are undeniable, having been capped 22 times for his country, M'Vila has long been a name touted as one of Europe's finest prospects.

Yet another player worthy of Sir Alex's attention.