Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Marquinhos and Paul Pogba Rumours

If Louis van Gaal didn't already know it, his Manchester United squad still needs an influx of talent. The Dutchman got a vivid reminder after his current expensive charges could only muster a goalless draw at Cambridge United in the FA Cup.

Step forward Marquinhos and Paul Pogba, two players who would certainly improve United's fortunes at both ends of the pitch. Speaking of fortunes, that's just what the Red Devils would have to pay to land the two names currently doing the rounds on the club's transfer rumour mill.

United could look to raid Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain for uncompromising centre-back Marquinhos. That's according to the player's agent, Giuliano Bertolucci.

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He made the claim to French publication Le Parisien (h/t ESPN FC):

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Last summer, PSG's president (Nasser Al-Khelaifi) declared that Marquinhos was unsellable. We will see what their position is this summer. Many clubs are interested in the player. Manchester United are one of them, this is true.

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Bertolucci also claimed his client is willing to play multiple positions, including "right-back and even in defensive midfield if he has to."

That level of flexibility will no doubt appeal to Van Gaal. He is desperate for defenders comfortable on the ball and also able to thrive in space.

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They are the only type of players who will make his preferred 3-5-2 formation work. The tactical structure has drawn criticism recently.

Decorated former United full-back and current Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville recently bemoaned Van Gaal's three-at-the-back policy to Monday Night Football (h/t Daily Mail's Thomas Jacobs). Yet Van Gaal clearly favours the formation he used with the Netherlands at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

But he needs a marquee defender to make it work. As a rapidly rising star, Marquinhos fits the bill.

B/R analyst Sam Tighe has identified him as a successor to countryman Thiago Silva at international level:

But it seems unlikely even a club of United's stature will be able to pry the 20-year-old away from the riches on offer in the French capital. Especially since any deal will cost £112 million, per Sky Sports reporter Peter Smith.

Even half of that astronomical fee might not be enough to help United land Pogba. 

The Red Devils had been linked with a bumper £61 million offer for Pogba, the former teen prodigy once on the books at Old Trafford, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa (h/t Daily Mail's Alex Sharp). But the ultra-talented Frenchman's agent appears to have put the brakes on any such deal.

Mino Raiola told Sky Sports News HQ that his client won't leave Juventus until at least the summer, per SkySports.com. But Raiola also proved a tease by leaving the door tantalisingly ajar for an eventual United bid:

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Paul has always said he is not angry with Manchester United – you need to move on. So there is no personal grudge against Manchester United. On the contrary, he holds Manchester United very dear and has very nice memories.

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This sounds like an agent playing games to spark a bidding war for his client. Of course, a bidding war is likely anyway in the event Pogba becomes available.

He's a phenomenal talent combining power, ingenuity and flair in equal measure. Despite this list of attributes, B/R's Matteo Bonetti believes Juve would consider selling at some point:

There aren't many clubs in the game who wouldn't benefit from signing Pogba. That includes 10-time European Cup winners Real Madrid.

Juve sporting director Giuseppe Marotta has insisted Los Blancos are interested, per Sky Italia (h/t Daily Mail reporter Thomas Jacobs). Pogba has even been learning Spanish from Bianconeri teammate Fernando Llorente, per Football Italia (h/t Daily Express writer Jamie Anderson).

Yet there are those who believe Madrid will face serious competition in any bid to land Pogba. French-based journalist Jonathan Johnson cited a report from RMC Radio naming a familiar mega-money suitor:

In this context, United may struggle to convince Pogba to give the club he once couldn't wait to leave another chance.

While very few players are outside United's reach, the current rumours seem more than a little fanciful. At least for the winter window.

Instead, expect Van Gaal to engage in a little more selective shopping than he undertook last summer. For now, Pogba and Marquinhos will have to wait.