Manchester United Transfer News: Devils Must Prioritise Kevin Strootman Deal

Manchester United have reportedly fallen behind Paris Saint-Germain in the race to sign Kevin Strootman in January, and the Red Devils have to make the Dutch international their No. 1 priority.

According to The Telegraph's Jason Burt, senior sources around the club confirmed Louis van Gaal has been in talks with AS Roma to sign the highly rated midfielder, pushing a potential move back to January to allow the player more time to recover from a knee injury:

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Senior sources have already briefed that more money will be committed when the January transfer window opens, with talks understood to have taken place to bring in the Roma and Holland midfielder Kevin Strootman for around £25  million during that time once he has recovered from a cruciate ligament injury.

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Strootman has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for months now, with few other clubs seemingly standing a chance of landing the midfield star. But according to the Daily Express' Jamie Anderson, reports from France indicate Les Parisiens are also showing an interest, and they have one massive trump card: Adrien Rabiot.

Rudi Garcia is reportedly a fan of the talented youngster (per Anderson) who is all but certain to leave the French capital in January, and PSG are willing to include him in a deal to bring Strootman to the French champions.

As shared by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Johnson, L'Equipe are confident the French international will move to the Serie A in January:

The Red Devils have plenty of young talent of their own waiting in the wings, and they could attempt to strike a similar deal with Roma. The question becomes which player the Giallorossi would probably take. Rabiot isn't just any young player—he's already an experienced starter with world-class potential.

Could United truly afford to sacrifice someone like James Wilson or Adnan Januzaj for the mercurial Strootman? It seems difficult to believe, but in order to trump PSG's offer, it might take a player of such caliber.

What is clear is that a world-class holding midfielder like Strootman should be the team's next big signing. As reported by The Telegraph's Burt, United are planning on signing at least one world-class player every year.

Thibault Camus/Associated Press

The offensive unit was upgraded by bringing in Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao—now it's time to add some punch to the midfield group. When healthy, Strootman is on par with the very best in the world at his position, the likes of Arturo Vidal.

Vidal is still an option, but that transfer had more twists and turns than a Dan Brown novel during the summer. Reports he had suffered another devastating knee injury were but the latest in a ridiculous saga, as Vidal tweeted he was "just fine" and played the full 90 minutes against Mexico just days later:

Unlike Roma, Juventus will have very little reason to sell in January. The Giallorossi want Rabiot—Juventus want a Champions League title and a fourth consecutive Serie A crown. Unless their season takes a turn for the worse, Vidal will stay put until the 2015 summer window.

That leaves Strootman, and with PSG now reportedly rivaling the Red Devils for his services, United simply can't afford to play it cool with Roma. For all of the talent Van Gaal brought in during the summer window, the squad is far from complete.

They have the talent to remain in top-four contention, but come the 2015-16 season, United are expected to be in the running for silverware on every possible front. The club needs a midfield enforcer for that, and Strootman fits the bill. By giving him half a year to get acclimated to the Premier League, everything will be in place for success next season.

Now is not the time to be patient. Strootman needs to be at the top of United's wishlist, and the Red Devils need to strike a deal with Roma before PSG have the chance to hijack a move. United have the financial muscle to just force Roma into a sale—this would be a good time to use it.

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