Manchester United Transfer News: Blockbuster Signings Targeted by Louis Van Gaal

Manchester United will have to sacrifice some defensive fortitude if they're to bring one of the world's brightest attacking talents to Old Trafford, according to reports.

Simon Mullock of the Mirror claims that the Red Devils will be allowed to sign Gareth Bale in a money-spinning transfer from Real Madrid, providing they are willing to give the Spanish giants David de Gea as part of any deal. 

According to Mullock, United have set aside £100 million to prise the Welshman away from the Santiago Bernabeu. Here's what the Red Devils would be getting for that kind of money:

De Gea has 18 months remaining on his current deal with the 20-time champions of England, and according to the aforementioned piece, there are lingering concerns that the goalkeeper—who is enjoying a magnificent season—has yet to commit his future to the club in the form of a long-term extension. 

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United manager Louis van Gaal has refused to be drawn on discussing a new deal this season.

"That is between the club and the player and it is not open for discussion for the media," he said in the aftermath of De Gea's exemplary display against Liverpool, per James Orr of the Independent.

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Given United's offensively loaded squad, this move would be plain nonsensical. After all, if it wasn't for the brilliance of De Gea, the Red Devils would be much worse off this season, per Sky Sports MNF:

George Ogier, writer for the Mirror, sums up the value of Spanish stopper in the long term:

Bale is a wonderful footballer and a player who would improve every squad on the planet. With that in mind, it's difficult to see why Madrid would sanction a sale, and when you consider the attacking options currently available to Van Gaal, why he would be willing to further unbalance his squad at the expense of arguably the best young goalkeeper in the world.

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Indeed, the £100 million reportedly earmarked should be put towards a new deal for De Gea and some defensive additions. Encouragingly for United fans, the Red Devils have been linked with two potential options in that area of the pitch with one reported target a very familiar face indeed.

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That man is former skipper Nemanja Vidic.

According to Steve Millar of the Daily Star, the Serbian defender will be allowed to leave Internazionale on a free transfer in January, and while he is somewhat past his very best, his experience, presence and winning mentality would still make Vidic a fine acquisition for the Red Devils.

The club are in need of additional bodies in the centre-back spots, too, and the 33-year-old defender is well acquainted with the abrasive nature of top-flight English football.

In the short term, that could make him a better option than someone like Mats Hummels—recently linked with United, per Aaron Flanagan of the Mirror—who Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe looks at here:

Another player well acquainted with the rough-and-tumble nature of the English game is Seamus Coleman, and in Millar's aforementioned piece, the Irish right-back is also cited as a potential target for Van Gaal in a £25 million deal.

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The Everton man has grown into one of the league's finest full-backs in recent seasons, offering the Toffees an industrious and incisive presence up and down the right flank.

He's not enjoying his best campaign this time round, though, as noted here by Everton writer Chris Smith:

While he may be out of form, stylistically Coleman would be ideal for United. His attacking instincts and unrelenting energy would make him a perfect candidate to play as a full-back or a wing-back in Van Gaal’s plethora of formations, while his ability to get in the box and score goals is a rare commodity for someone who operates from that position.

Everton are notorious for their unwillingness to sell players on the cheap, however, and given that Coleman penned a new long-term deal before the season started, you can bet that £25 million will be the very least the Toffees accept for one of their most influential players.