January Window Calm at Manchester United Points to Summer Transfer Frenzy

It's been a quiet January transfer window for Manchester United so far.

This should come as little surprise, as the Red Devils have hardly been known for their excesses in the winter window.

"The January transfer market has never been the best market and that has proved itself over the years," Sir Alex Ferguson said in December 2012, per Tom Adams of Eurosport-Yahoo. "You get very few big transfers—all the big transfers are done in the summer."

Signing Juan Mata last January may have suggested that—post-Ferguson—things would be different.

However, Louis van Gaal made it clear he operated along similar lines in a press conference on 16 January, per the Daily Mail:

"

I don’t think we shall be very active. Not many players at a certain level are available. I have also said when we have to buy a player he has to be better than our players who are playing now and that is a difficult job.

"

Rumours have continued, though, and still persist, with Stan Collymore telling Bleacher Report that the "Mats Hummels deal may go to the wire."

"

‘Mats #Hummels deal may go to the wire’—@StanCollymore on #mufc pushing for a big January deal http://t.co/0IhbaztaB0 pic.twitter.com/ICr04wYaJ2

— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) January 30, 2015"

If United can get Hummels, then the job of signing an experienced, commanding centre half will be achieved. Even if that is the case, though, it has been a window in which the phrase "more likely to be one for the summer" has been commonplace.

Back in December, James Dickenson of the Daily Express covered "reports from the continent" suggesting that Gareth Bale would move to Old Trafford in the summer.

Nick Lustig of the Daily Star wrote on 22 January that United are likely to sign Kevin Strootman of AS Roma in the summer.

David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror wrote on Thursday that United were "confident of wrapping up a £15 million deal for Nathaniel Clyne in the summer."

Bleacher Report's Jerrad Peters covered why United may have to wait for the summer for Hummels, too.

A commanding centre-half, a box-to-box midfielder, another right-back to cover for Rafael's many injuries and a direct and destructive winger. Those are almost exactly the roles that need filling in order for Van Gaal to switch to a more attack-minded formation whilst retaining defensive solidity.

There will be new rumours between now and then, too, as players rise to prominence in the final stages of the season, other players fall out with their managers and Lionel Messi decides it's finally time to come home.

Well, perhaps not that last one.

Of course, leaving these type of deals until the summer is a risk. If United's existing squad falls short of making the Champions League places for a second season in a row, then it will presumably be harder to attract top-tier talent.

There will also be the possibility of the top-tier talent that is already at the club looking to move on.

Missing out on one season of the Champions League is unfortunate, two starts to look like a pattern.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Assuming the risk pays off, and Van Gaal can guide his men to a top-four finish, next summer will be a busy one.

It would not behoove United to be effectively out of next season's title race by January 2016, as they are this year and were last. Again, at some point a blip becomes a pattern.

Of course, if the next couple of days see surprises on the level of Radamel Falcao's late arrival in September, then all of this becomes redundant.

In any case, for now, it looks like being a quiet January.

The summer will be a lot noisier.