Mats Hummels, Aymeric Laporte Deadline Transfer Swoop Eyed by Manchester United

Manchester United will make a last-ditch attempt to land a high-profile centre-back during the January transfer window, with reports suggesting that Louis van Gaal has his eye on Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and Athletic Club’s Aymeric Laporte.

Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC cites Red Devils sources confirming the club’s intention to try and sign one of the two defenders, and although it is claimed neither player is expected to move at this late juncture, the Old Trafford club has apparently received some timely encouragement in their pursuit of a central defender.

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As noted here by Sam Pilger of FourFourTwo, given United’s scarcity of quality options at the back, it would be a major disappointment if that area of the team wasn't replenished:

Hummels is the more established of the aforementioned duo and would arguably be more capable of coming in and making an immediate impact at Old Trafford. The Dortmund man—who has also been linked with Arsenal, per Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star—is a fine defender, an exceptional leader and very capable with the ball at his feet too.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe took a look at his qualities earlier in the campaign:

With BVB currently joint-bottom of the Bundesliga, selling their star centre-back would be a major gamble. But if United come in for the defender with a stratospheric offer—according to Sport Bild (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro), the Red Devils will bid £37.3 million for him—it’s something the Ruhr club must consider.

Delaney outlined the situation surrounding Hummels in greater detail:

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Borussia Dortmund obviously still want to keep Hummels but are privately less intransigent about the idea of a sale than they had been, and those close to the club in Germany think the ground is being prepared to make any eventual exit easier to cover.

United put an informal bid in for Hummels as far back as November, sources said, and as yet have not received a flat-out rejection.

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Laporte—who has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid, per Simon Jones of the Mail Online—is a younger player and someone who may not be quite as primed as Hummels to make an immediate impression in the United first team.

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Earlier in the week, Bleacher Report Spanish football expert Guillem Balague outlined the situation regarding the Frenchman, revealing the kind of premium United would have to pay to land him:

Balague also shared his doubts on the deal:

Despite being just 20 years old, the Athletic man has the burly somatotype to be a great success in the Premier League. Laporte has shown he can be a dominant aerial presence and has an understated turn of pace too, but what sets him apart from a host of other young centre-backs is his fundamental defensive instincts.

As we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, despite his tender years, Laporte is excellent at reading the game:

Here’s a look at the young defender in action:

While they may be keeping tabs on both players as the deadline draws closer, you suspect United will only look to add one of these defenders to their squad. Here’s how they measure up in purely statistical terms so far this season:

	Hummels	Laporte
Apps	12	23
Tackles per game	1.8	2.3
Interceptions per game	2.5	3.9
Clearances per game	3.7	3.4
Blocks per game	0.3	0.9

Ultimately, the player Van Gaal pursues with the most endeavour will depend on what he wants. If the United boss is concerned about his side finishing in the top four and is looking to cement Champions League qualification, then Hummels—while likely to be the more expensive option—should be his primary target.

But if he’s looking for a player he can refine, there are few young centre-backs out there more suitable than Laporte. However, you suspect that with Southampton, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur vying for those Champions League berths, United will be more inclined to bring in a player who can have a short-term impact.