Manchester United Transfer News: Louis Van Gaal Shock, Cristiano Ronaldo Latest

Louis van Gaal won't strengthen his Manchester United squad in January "unless a key target becomes available," according to Jamie Jackson of The Guardian.

Van Gaal is widely expected to invest in defensive and midfield reinforcements to aid United's quest to regain Champions League football. Although the Dutchman has plenty of funds to deploy, he believes waiting until the summer is a "more realistic proposition" due to his transfer targets remaining in European competition, according to Jackson.

January is certainly a difficult time to receive value for money. Clubs generally try to eke as much money as possible out of deals to compensate for losing a player during the middle of the season, forever highlighted by Andy Carroll's £35 million transfer from Newcastle to Liverpool in 2011.  

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Jackson suggests Van Gaal is "encouraged" by his team's progress, "so any recruitment after Christmas is now being viewed as an exception."

United have performed well in recent weeks—summed up by the team's draw against Premier League leaders Chelsea and narrow 10-man loss to Manchester City—so it's possible the boss wants to see this term through without building upon the summer spend.

Key targets at this point can perhaps be outlined as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin Strootman and Mats Hummels.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Sky Sports' Guillem Balague recently suggested "everything is in place" for Ronaldo to head back to Old Trafford, but Jorge Mendes—the player's agent—called such a transfer "impossible." This was recently underlined by the player himself, who noted his intentions when receiving the Golden Boot award on Wednesday, reported by Nicholas Rigg of AS:

With that potential transfer seemingly struck off the list, it's easier to mobilise funds for Strootman or Hummels. The former is yet to return to the Roma lineup after picking up a serious knee injury last season, but club officials have made it known United's advances aren't welcome.

Roma owner James Pallotta said a transfer "is just not happening," reported by BBC Sport. "I have told the papers that they should stop wasting paper. We don't have any interest in selling Kevin." Coach Rudi Garcia insisted a "three-digit" sum would be needed to pluck the midfielder away from Serie A.

Even so, James Robson of the Manchester Evening News believes Strootman "is at the top of Van Gaal's wanted list." The player's qualities are highlighted below:

Hummels also appears to be an extremely difficult transfer to push through. He recently acknowledged the importance of a "fair deal for everyone" if he is to move, per Jackson. Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp called the rumours "total rubbish" and insisted the centre-back would remain at the Westfalenstadion.

United will likely need a mega-money bid to tempt either Strootman or Hummels. It would be extremely risky to offer hefty terms for Strootman if he hasn't returned to full fitness, while Hummels is destined to be an important figure in Dortmund's run through the Champions League.

Such circumstances highlight the difficulty of aiming to sign world-class players during the season when elite sides are cramped with busy schedules. United fans will undoubtedly crave additions if the team continues to struggle in 10th, however, and they will use a lack of winter investment as a reason for failure if the club ends up missing out on a place in Europe.