Manchester United Transfer News: Mats Hummels and Joao Miranda Rumours Emerge

Louis van Gaal will wait until the end of the season to bid for Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels, turning his attention to Joao Miranda in the interim, according to the latest reports.

Alex Harris of the Daily Star suggests, "Van Gaal is set to make a big money move next summer to beat off Arsenal and land Hummels with the futures of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling uncertain."

Hummels is needed to lead Dortmund away from their struggles in the Bundesliga—where they are currently in the relegation zone—and to help mount a charge for this season's Champions League trophy. The powerful centre-back has been present in nine of BVB's 16 domestic division matches this campaign but has only helped secure one win.

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

United continue to struggle defensively. Van Gaal has rarely been able to field the same centre-back selection two games in a row, but it's fair to say there's a lack of world-class quality even without this hindrance.

Liverpool had 19 shots on goal during their 3-0 loss at Old Trafford, as Phil Jones, Michael Carrick and Jonny Evans failed to cut out simple chances being created. This is fair enough in Carrick's case—he's a holding midfielder by trade—but the performance of his two colleagues sums up why David de Gea has become such a huge star this season.

Former United defender and current Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville recently provided a detailed analysis of De Gea's improvements:

The Spanish goalkeeper made a string of excellent saves once again against the Reds. Just like last season, he isn't being protected. Hummels wouldn't only provide a physical presence, he'd be able to lead United's other defenders in a positional sense. With players such as Jones, Evans, Smalling and Marcos Rojo, there's always the chance they will be caught napping.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Atletico Madrid's Miranda is an alternative, more readily available option, according to David Wright of the Daily Express. He could be available for £20 million, a sum which still appears expensive considering he is out of contract in the summer and 30 years old.

Bruce Archer of the Daily Star believes Miranda "has been told he can leave the Spanish champions" in January.

Football pundit Andy Brassell believes Diego Godin, Miranda's team-mate, could be a better bet for United. He spoke to B/R UK's Ryan Bailey:

United chief executive Ed Woodward recently suggested there is a "low probability" the club will sign anyone in January. Van Gaal will desperately want to maintain the side's current third position in the Premier League, a rank which is realistically the highest United can achieve this season.

January investment is needed if the side is to build on their current six-game winning run. Victories against Arsenal, Southampton, Stoke City and Liverpool have seen chances go begging for the opposition. This luck will run out eventually, meaning quality will be needed to plug the gap.

Hummels is the type of dominant defender Van Gaal should crave, while Miranda only represents a short-term fix. Even so, it would be a major risk to head toward the end of the season without a significant defensive name arriving to bolster the team's hopes.