Manchester United Transfer News: Mats Hummels Shouldn't Be January Target

Borussia Dortmund star Mats Hummels is once again being linked with a January move to the Premier League, but while Manchester United would love to bring him into the fold, the Red Devils should focus their summer resources toward the World Cup hero.

The Daily Express' James Cambridge is the latest to suggest the centre-back will be the subject of several January bids, this time from rivals Manchester City, who are willing to offer an astronomical £47 million.

The reasoning behind the transfer is always the same—Dortmund are struggling, ergo Hummels could leave:

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The German international is enduring a torrid time at Borussia Dortmund as they battle relegation and look to stop the rot.

But the news will not be welcomed by Arsene Wenger and Louis van Gaal, both of whom are rumoured to want the German defender.

Manchester United and Arsenal have both been plagued with defensive injuries this term, fielding Michael Carrick and Mathieu Debuchy as make-shift centre backs, and will be keen to ensure the 25-year-old is theirs come January.

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The wording of "ensuring the 25-year-old is theirs come January" borders on arrogance, not uncommon with pundits who mainly talk about the Premier League. Throw a lot of money at someone like Hummels and he will come, right?

That idea is supported by Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, who told TZ (h/t Daily Express' Ben Jefferson) his club can't compete financially with the top clubs in Europe:

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There are players here at Dortmund who are happy to play for 20 per cent less money. But that's not the case when we're talking about 50 per cent less money.

And that's where Real Madrid and Bayern Munich enter the fray. It's like they want all of our players ...

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So, pop the champagne and open the chequebooks? Not yet. The odds of Hummels leaving his current club are still minimal at best, £47 million or not.

The closest the team captain has so far come to admitting he's not happy in Dortmund was when he walked off the pitch without greeting the fans following the team's loss against Hertha Berlin, as shared by FourFourTwo's Alex Chaffer:

Hummels was largely responsible for the only goal scored in that match, and his frustration was understandable. Fans were furious and didn't mince their words on social media, and via 101 Great Goals, he hardly offered much of an excuse:

As far as signals of an imminent transfer go, that's it.

Dortmund are struggling tremendously, sitting near the bottom of the standings in the Bundesliga and facing a difficult Champions League tie against Italian champions Juventus.

Some pundits may view this as a reason Hummels could opt to leave in January—the opposite is true. Dortmund face a massive battle to save their season in the second half of the campaign; they're not about to sell their top defender and simply give up on the season.

Die Schwarzgelben made his career possible after Bayern Munich dismissed him in 2009. He's a team captain and one of the club's most popular players when he's not walking off the pitch without greeting the fans.

Unlike team-mate Marco Reus, whose buyout clause can be activated in the summer of 2015, per DW - Sports, Hummels isn't a player the club may be forced to sell:

Even if the 25-year-old was ready to move on, it would make far more sense to do so in the summer. He's currently cup-tied in Europe to Dortmund, and after a dreadful start to the season, there's unfinished business to be taken care of. As captain, he could increase his value by stepping up to the plate and turning the situation around.

Other clubs know this as well, and while they'll undoubtedly touch on his availability, nobody is going to direct all of their resources toward a January move.

It's far wiser to look at other, more realistic targets and eye a summer window with no major tournaments to pursue the man who will likely be the most-wanted defensive player of 2015.

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