Manchester United Transfer News: Big-Name Stars Act as Bait for Thomas Vermaelen

Manchester United's reported pursuit of Thomas Vermaelen could hinge on the Red Devils' willingness to part with players including Tom Cleverley, Nani and Chris Smalling.

Arsenal are said to be keen on lessening a £10 million fee by having United chuck in one of their struggling individuals, with interest in Cleverley currently leading the way, according to John Cross of the Mirror:

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The Arsenal boss has been keeping tabs on Tom Cleverley and also has an interest in Chris Smalling. That could act as a potential sweetener, with the Old Trafford giants keen to do a £10million deal for Belgium World Cup defender Vermaelen.

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Nani's name is also being linked in a potential deal, a development on the Portuguese winger's links to the Emirates club in 2012 and 2013, per the Daily Mail and Metro, respectively. Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star provides the latest rumour:

"Reports claim that the Gunners would prefer to secure the services of out-of-favour Nani rather than receive an estimated £10m fee," reads the article. It must be said, none of the three players suggested would leave a great gap in United's line-up.

Cleverley's struggles are well-documented, but there's a sense he could be useful at Arsenal. The English midfielder isn't particularly dominant with or without the ball, but he can provide a smooth link when transitioning into attack. Arsenal currently flaunt more mobile players such as Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil, suggesting Cleverley would be deployed in a workhorse role.

United fans would also likely be fine with the Gunners nicking Smalling. The 24-year-old can no longer be viewed as a talented youngster; his development has halted, and his performances during 2013-14 were those of an extremely average defender.

Although there's still time for the Englishman to prove the doubters wrong, United would be well-served to swap him for Vermaelen, who offers the proven quality needed at this difficult time.

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The Belgian defender is a leader when on form and has proven himself to be among the Premier League's best when playing at the height of his game. Granted, he continues to suffer with injury niggles, but United's defence needs galvanising with a mixture of confident youth and experienced stars. Vermaelen can fulfil centre-back and left-back duties if needed.

Similar to Cleverley and Smalling, time is also running out for Nani. The 27-year-old hasn't pushed on at United and heads a squad made up of wasteful wingers who continue to frustrate. Make no mistake about it, Nani can rip through defences and slam home stunning goals once every so often, but United fans will need a history book to reminisce on the last time this happened.

Louis van Gaal would be wise to offload one of his unneeded players for Vermaelen. Not only would the wage bill change insignificantly, but he'd also begin to exorcise the squad of its unwanted souls. The Dutch manager has a knack for getting the best out of players who have previously struggled, indicating it could be an impressive piece of business from the newly installed boss.

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Samuel Luckhurst of The Huffington Post believes plenty will be left unsatisfied if such a deal takes place:

United's rebuild is likely to see a plethora of new stars arrive at Old Trafford. Not all of these will be superstars, as Van Gaal faces the difficult task of ensuring United's strength in depth can compete with the Premier League's best. Vermaelen wouldn't be a glamour signing, but he would improve the club's options.