Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Enzo Perez and William Carvalho

Louis van Gaal is expected to continue strengthening Manchester United's midfield when the January transfer window arrives, an assumption that has led to suggestions Enzo Perez and William Carvalho are being lined up.

Both offer the physical grit Van Gaal's men so desperately need and could plug gaps in the centre for United.

Portuguese newspaper A Bola reported that club scouts watched Perez during Benfica's 1-0 Champions League win over Monaco on Tuesday (h/t Ben Burrows of the Mirror). This follows on from suggestions the club could meet Perez's buyout clause, as reported by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News.

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Ashley Chapman of the Express indicates Perez is available for £23.5 million. This is undoubtedly a premium price for the combative midfielder and would highlight Van Gaal's desperate need for reinforcements if the full amount is paid. The 28-year-old is only 15 months off hitting 30 and cannot be expected to run United's midfielder for many seasons to come.

Football writer Rupert Fryer offered his thoughts on the player:

At 22 years old, £37 million-rated Carvalho is a long-term prospect for the club. Sporting Lisbon's powerhouse failed to secure a move to the Premier League last season, despite interest from United, Arsenal and Chelsea, per Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star. However, he is confident of making the move away from Portugal soon, reported by Alex Harris of the Daily Star.

"We all have ambitions and I hope one day to play in the best leagues in the world, the English or Spanish," he said to the Portuguese Association's magazine, per Harris. "It was not this year, but if I continue to do my job as I have done so, it will certainly come sooner or later."

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Carvalho has an immensely powerful frame for his age and is used to taking defensive responsibility in Sporting's midfield. The developing talent is capable of moving forward when needed but is more likely to break play up than initiate an attack.

He averages 3.3 tackles per Champions League appearance this season, which has also seen the youngster launch 1.7 seven shots at goal per display, as recorded by WhoScored.com. Van Gaal could certainly use Carvalho's presence on the halfway line and would be smart to develop him into a Yaya Toure-styled powerhouse who drives from deep.

Carvalho's full range of abilities are highlighted below:

Perez isn't so naturally physical, but he fulfills the pitbull act on Benfica's midfield. He is a dogged tackler and assured in possession, often bringing the ball forward with a successful dribble. The Argentinian constantly looks to bring his team-mates into play and is capable of providing a smart link between midfield and attack when given the license to roam.

Both he and Carvalho are suckers for a booking, however, having picked up 11 between them this season (not to mention the latter's red card against Academica, per WhoScored). Van Gaal needs to increase his team's resiliency and combativeness, so he is unlikely to frown upon the overzealous nature of such players.

United's main target right now is making it to January with the top four in reach. The Red Devils are currently four points off Arsenal heading into Saturday's match with Crystal Palace, before taking on the Gunners at the Emirates. Four points from the next two fixtures is the minimum needed after a run of three ties without a win, as Arsenal are likely to pull away if this isn't achieved.

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Van Gaal's activity during the winter market can help shape United's season and could provide a major confidence boost no matter the situation. Carvalho should be targeted if Benfica expect a high price for Perez, as his physical frame and room for development adheres to what United need most: proven quality who can improve across the coming years.