Manchester United Transfer Rumours: Time for Red Devils to Chase Ilkay Gundogan

David Moyes is desperate to secure a marquee deal during his first Manchester United transfer window.

As reported by BBC Sport, the Scotsman's public pursuit of Cesc Fabregas has been dealt a major blow. The Barcelona midfielder is not for sale according to vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu, ensuring the Red Devils must turn their sights elsewhere.

Sky Sports confirms Moyes is aiming to land a new midfield talent, an area of the pitch many fans wish to see galvanised:

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Signing a midfield player was one area where we thought we could possibly add to the squad.

It's hard to get top quality players who can come in and affect your team. That's why we're trying to go for what we see as the right players and the best players.

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With the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Fabregas eluding United's grasp, it's apparent what type of midfielder Moyes is looking to bring in. Although the Premier League champions possess a real hankering for a midfield destroyer, the new boss is prioritising players who can perform effectively across a number of roles.

He is looking for someone who can retain possession, accurately distribute the ball and crunch into tackles.

Ilkay Gundogan is that man.

Metro suggests Manchester United are lining up a bid for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder now that the quest for Fabregas has received a major setback. The German midfielder recently enjoyed a breakout season in the Bundesliga and has quickly secured his place among the best players in Europe. His game is remarkably well-rounded at the age of 22, even if B/R's Sam Tighe believes otherwise:

Gundogan is exactly the type of player Manchester United need at this transitional time.

Last season he posted a pass success rate of 86.2 percent, combined with an average of 2.3 tackles per game in the Bundesliga, according to WhoScored.com. In the Champions League, he posted 3.1 tackles per game and played a major role in Dortmund's journey to the final, including a calmly taken penalty during the Wembley conclusion with Bayern Munich.

Moyes needs individuals who are willing to take responsibility. Gundogan's concentration allows him to effectively break up play and unleash his more attacking teammates with an array of forward-thinking passes. The reason stars such as Marco Reus and Jakub Blaszczykowski are afforded so much time to bomb up the pitch is because of players like Gundogan. No headline-grabbing stars can do the job alone.

Much like Michael Carrick's current role at the Theatre of Dreams, Gundogan's discipline and control allow others to take the glory. Even so, the former Nuremberg player possesses excellent dribbling skills and isn't afraid to break forward. He is more mobile and willing to leave his position than Carrick, hinting at a combination that could see Gundogan naturally open up great space on the Old Trafford pitch.

Gundogan's presence would also act as a springboard for Shinji Kagawa's Manchester United career to take off. Moyes often favoured a nontraditional use of wingers at Everton and was known to utilise an interchanging midfield style that would see the likes of Steven Pienaar, Kevin Mirallas and Leon Osman cycle through wide and central positions.

The thought of Gundogan, Kagawa, Carrick and Wayne Rooney doing the same behind Robin van Persie is enough to make the most ardent supporters salivate.

With the Cesc Fabregas saga doing nothing but extending a summer of disappointment for United fans, Moyes must now focus on realistic targets. Ilkay Gundogan flaunts all of the attributes the manager is looking for, has room to continue improving and can be acquired for a much smaller fee.

Gundogan's recent performance in Dortmund's 4-2 German Super Cup win over Bayern Munich also reminded everyone of his supreme array of attributes. If United don't close in quickly, any future chance of signing the player could be halted by the four words that have defined David Moyes' summer: "He's not for sale."