Manchester United Transfer News: Last-Ditch Deals Targeted by Louis Van Gaal

Manchester United are keeping a close eye on centre-back Aleksandar Dragovic, according to reports, as Louis van Gaal looks to add to his defensive options in the flickering embers of the January transfer window.

According to Simon Jones of MailOnline, both the Red Devils and Arsenal are keeping tabs on the Austria skipper. But with Villarreal confirming that the Gunners have agreed a deal for Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista, per BBC Sport, it seems as though United now have a free run at the young centre-back.

Here are the kind of qualities that Dragovic would add to this United setup:

The Kiev man may not be high profile enough to sate those Red Devils supporters who were hoping for a big-name January acquisition, but he’s a player that’s really blossomed as of late. With the right coaching, he could become a fine Premier League defender and it seems as though he’s on the cusp of a move too.

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As noted by Jonas Giaever of Sport Witness, after Dynamo’s recent friendly match with 1860 Munich, Dragovic’s former Austria Wien team-mate Ruben Okotie posted a message on his Instagram account which read: “Wishing you all the best, I hope your transfer happens soon, you are one of the best centre-back in Europe.”

United fans seem pretty excited by the prospect of getting him on board too, even if it’s not quite entirely for footballing reasons, per football writer Serge Adam:

But should he eventually join, Dragovic is a young player that could potentially be a mainstay of this United back four for years. He may find the pace of the Premier League tough to adjust to initially, but he’s a defender who has all the requisite attributes to eventually flourish in English football’s top flight.

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Another player who certainly has those qualities is Paul Pogba, and while a deal for the French midfielder looks highly unlikely in the final knockings of the January window, the Red Devils will reportedly pursue his signature with gumption in the summer alongside rivals Manchester City and Chelsea.

Per Liam Corless of the Mirror, the player’s agent Mino Raiola has insisted that while the player still feels an affinity for the Old Trafford outfit, he won’t move in the current window:

"

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. ...

He will stay here this window in Italy and after that it’s also up to Juventus and up to himself to see what are the possibilities and what are the things to do.

"

MANU FERNANDEZ/Associated Press

Here’s why Pogba is rated as one of the world’s finest young midfield men:

According to Simon Mullock of the Mirror, the aforementioned English trio will join the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in an attempt to lure Pogba away from the Bianconeri, who he claims will cash in on the 21-year-old for a £75 million fee.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe took a closer look at where Pogba could end up:

If there is a relationship that exists between the player and United then Van Gaal will surely fancy his chances of bringing Pogba to Old Trafford. The club also have the financial muscle to match any team in Europe and would be capable of putting forward a lucrative package for the Juventus man.

But with United currently not at the peak of their powers, any of the aforementioned sides reportedly interested in the player currently look like a better proposition in terms of fundamental footballing terms. Pogba wouldn’t have to worry about lack of game time either; such is the player’s undeniable talent, there’s little doubt that he’d get into the starting lineups for any of those teams.