Manchester United Transfer Rumours: Major News Circling Louis van Gaal's Squad

Manchester United are ready to steal a march on Liverpool in an attempt to land Ezequiel Lavezzi this summer, according to reports.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward is enduring a turbulent time in the French capital this season and was linked with a move to Merseyside throughout the course of the January transfer window. But according to reports in Spain (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro), the Red Devils are also in the race for the Argentina star.

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While claims in the piece suggesting that Angel Di Maria could go the other way as part of the deal may be a little outlandish, Lavezzi would definitely represent an intriguing proposition for United. Here’s a brief look at the kind of qualities that he could bring with him to Old Trafford:

Boasting some of the highest profile centre-forwards in world football, perhaps it’s a surprise that Louis van Gaal is looking bolster his offensive options. However, the Dutchman bemoaned the lack of a 20-goal-a-season striker in the build-up to the Red Devils’ recent 2-0 win over Sunderland, per Match of the Day:

Whether that puzzling remark from Van Gaal was sincere or a veiled attempt to prompt his current options into better form, Lavezzi doesn’t seem to be the right fit for United at this juncture.

Indeed, it seems that there are other illustrious names in the hunt for this prodigious talent too, per David Amoyal of GianlucaDiMarzio.com:

He has quality, and the Argentinian’s unrelenting work rate would do plenty to endear himself to the Old Trafford crowd, but United need a dash of youthful exuberance in this squad. After all, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao and Lavezzi are all forwards who are arguably past their best.

United need to bring in a player in a different mould—someone who may be a little raw but is exciting, energetic and has a vast but malleable skill set for Van Gaal to work with. Palermo’s Paulo Dybala is a player who would be perfect, and although the Red Devils have been linked with him previously, reports suggest that he could be on his way to Borussia Dortmund.

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That’s according to Anthony Chapman of the Daily Express, who claims that the capricious Argentinian is on the cusp of a £30 million move after discussions with the Westfalenstadion club. Here’s a look at why Dybala will command that kind of fee:

The 21-year-old has scorched the pitches of Serie A this season with an array of sizzling displays at the point of the attack for Palermo. He has a wonderfully mercurial edge to his play, boasts a plethora of tricks and is relentless in his willingness to win back possession.

As noted by James Horncastle of BT Sport earlier in the season, his link-up play with Franco Vazquez has been one of the standout facets of this Serie A season so far:

Perhaps most encouragingly for potential suitors, Dybala has discovered a composure in front of goal this season. In previous campaigns, he’s been a little erratic once in view of the whites of the goalkeeper’s eyes, but he’s now a refined player who relishes those kinds of chances.

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As we can see, courtesy of Squawka football, Dybala is keeping some pretty illustrious company in the race to be named top scorer in Serie A:

Stylistically, Dybala is exactly the kind of player that United need. He’d give what’s been an often ponderous attacking line-up a refreshed edge to their attacking forays, and while he’s still a little rough around the edges—like every 21-year-old, it must be said—the Argentinian is a thrilling talent.

It’s also easy to see why Dortmund would an ideal destination for him, though. Jurgen Klopp has a fine track record of developing young players, and his team's high-intensity playing style would suit Dybala’s qualities down to the ground. With that in mind, and Chapman reporting that Chelsea and Arsenal also interested in the player, United look set to have a fight on their hands if they want to land the Palermo starlet.