Manchester United Transfer News: Post-Deadline-Day Rumours and Done Deals

Manchester United's January transfer window passed without any major incoming signings, aside from the capture of free agent Victor Valdes.

Unknown defenders Sadiq El Fitouri and Andy Kellett joined the club and are likely to feature at under-21 level, while a host of unneeded Red Devils players were pushed through the door.

United are expected to finally make a move for Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels at the end of the season. ESPN FC's Andy Mitten suggested "if there is a deal, then it's likely to be done in the summer." During B/R UK's deadline-day Q&A session hosted by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, the Sky Sports pundit also noted Louis van Gaal is likely to make a move when this campaign concludes:

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It is suggested the Dutchman will "revisit" the possibility of signing Paris Saint-Germain's Marquinhos during the summer, as reported by Ben Jefferson of the Express.

Van Gaal was reportedly interested in landing Roma's Kevin Strootman but a relapse of the player's knee injury is now set to see him miss the majority of a second consecutive season in Italy, as reported by ESPN FC. In this article, however, it's noted that Van Gaal "is still keen to take his compatriot to Old Trafford in the summer."

As a sidenote, it's worth taking into account that Paul Clennam of Goal.com believes the club "were in contact with Borussia Dortmund over the weekend to enquire about the availability of Marco Reus." He is available for £20 million in the summer and could perhaps join alongside team-mate Hummels.

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United were busy making room for potential new signings on deadline day, however, as noted below:

In	From	Deal
Out	To	Deal
Andy Kellett	Bolton Wanderers	Loan
Saidy Janko	Bolton	Loan
Anderson	Internacional	Permanent
Wilfried Zaha	Crystal Palace	Permanent
Jesse Lingard	Derby	Loan
Darren Fletcher	West Bromwich Albion	Permanent
Marnick Vermijl	Sheffield Wednesday	Permanent

The most stirring of exits for many United fans will be the departure of Darren Fletcher. He joined West Brom on a three-and-a-half-year deal, as reported by Simon Jones, Ian Ladyman and Laurie Whitwell of the MailOnline. His exit was noted on United's official Twitter account:

Fletcher has been an excellent servant to the side over the years. A reliable midfielder, the Scot offered a combination of smart passing skill and the ability to break up play. Unfortunately he was limited to a handful of performances during the last few seasons of his Old Trafford tenure due to suffering with ulcerative colitis, but Van Gaal originally named him as vice-captain ahead of the season.

The 31-year-old managed just five starts in all competitions this campaign, per WhoScored.com, and he now heads to Tony Pulis' side with a whole new challenge to take on. West Brom are three points outside the relegation zone and certainly need leaders of Fletcher's ilk to help them escape the drop.

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Another midfielder, Anderson, also passed through the United door on Monday. He joined Brazilian club Internacional after a troubled seven-and-a-half years in England, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Mirror.

Anderson's career has been littered with injury and fitness problems, forcing a once top prospect to become a figure of ridicule. He's unlikely to be missed, but Van Gaal is surely pleased to cut the 26-year-old's wages from the weekly bill.

Sky Sports pundit and former Red Devils right-back Gary Neville assessed Anderson's time at the club, per Luckhurst:

"

He was a big-game player with a big-game mentality and lots of skill, but was never fit enough to do it consistently week in week out in the Premier League, and that's a real shame. Because that's when a lot of players will look back at the end of their careers and think 'could I have been that little bit more driven and determined?'

"

Plenty of youngsters moved on during deadline day. United finally offloaded Wilfried Zaha in a permanent deal to Crystal Palace, a club he has been on loan at since the start of the season. United could make up to £8 million for his exit, as reported by Aaron Flanagan of the Mirror, recouping most of the £10 million spent on him in 2013.

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Things just never worked out for Zaha, who failed to impress David Moyes and Van Gaal during his time with the club. He was happy to head back to Selhurst Park, though:

United's official feed also confirmed the temporary exit of Jesse Lingard, while defender Marnick Vermijl headed to Sheffield Wednesday on a permanent deal:

The club did have time to make one signing, however, with 21-year-old Bolton left-back Kellett joining on loan. Saidy Janko moved the other way to continue his development, per United:

Although certainly not the most exciting transfer window, Van Gaal has likely cleared the squad to make room for summer acquisitions. Hummels, Marquinhos, Strootman and Reus all remain costly possibilities, while plenty of other targets are likely to appear before the end of the campaign.

It's gutsy to remove squad back-up such as Fletcher and Anderson without identifying immediate replacements. B/R UK's Ryan Bailey suggests United's failure to bring in world-class names isn't a smart idea:

Van Gaal has certainly taken a risk ahead of trying to qualify for the Champions League. If he manages at least fourth, United will have saved a decent chunk of wages ahead of spending big when the next window arrives. If the club fail to qualify, he will likely be criticised for a lack of winter signings. 

None of United's exits, aside from sentimental value with Fletcher, are likely to impact the side unless injuries stockpile again. Van Gaal has worked avidly to eliminate the deadwood, providing more time to search for future stars when the market opens once more.