Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels Rumours
Reported Manchester United target Thomas Muller doesn’t appear to have eyes on a move from away Bayern Munich any time soon, insisting he’s ignoring lingering speculation about his future.
According to James Benge of the London Evening Standard, Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal saw the German international as an “ideal fit” to bolster his front line. As quoted in the aforementioned piece, speaking with Bild, Muller, however, claimed that interest from top clubs is merely an indication of his own good form.
“When a transfer request comes in, you automatically deal with it,” said the 25-year-old. “A request from another big club is an honour and a telling reward that one's performances are good. But I feel good at Bayern and my deal runs until 2019. It's better to ignore speculation.”
Given Radamel Falcao’s loan move didn’t work out and Robin van Persie’s perennial struggle with injuries, the Red Devils are in desperate need of a forward and the German would fit the bill perfectly.
Here’s how he fared statistically in comparison to Wayne Rooney last season:
| Apps (Sub) | 28 (4) | 33 |
| Goals | 13 | 12 |
| Assists | 10 | 5 |
| Shots per game | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| Key passes per game | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Dribbles per game | 0.8 | 1.2 |
While a deal seems unlikely, Muller would add so much to this United front line. He may not be the tallest, strongest or quickest, but the Bayern man is an extraordinarily cerebral player. Muller’s movement, intelligence on the ball and ability to make smart decisions has made him one of the most feared forwards in European football.
As we can see here courtesy of Squawka Football, Muller is a proven goalscorer at the very highest level:
It’d be a remarkable coup for United, but the chances of Bayern relinquishing the services of a key player that has been schooled through their own youth system seems unlikely. If they were going to, you suspect it would take an astronomical amount of money from United before a deal would even be considered.
Milan In Hunt for Mats Hummels
Serie A giants Milan have emerged as surprise contenders to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels in a potential blow to Manchester United and Arsenal.
That’s according to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport (h/t Joe Short of the Daily Express), which claims the Rossoneri will test BVB’s resolve with a bid of £25 million of the World Cup winner.
As noted in the piece, Hummels is a player that has long been linked with a move to the Red Devils, but speculation seems to have ceased in recent weeks. Bleacher Report’s Andy Brassell took a look at which players the Old Trafford outfit are currently being linked with at the moment:
On paper, Hummels looked a fine fit for United. He’s a combative defender, capable of sitting deep to guard the penalty area or stepping forward and operating more aggressively. In addition, his ability to bring the ball out of defence and set up attacks is something that would have surely appealed to Van Gaal.
But as noted by sports journalist Rafael Hernandez, bringing in a world-class defender that’ll slot seamlessly into a side is difficult business:
Milan’s move doesn’t seem as though it’ll go beyond an enquiry, anyway. Even though Dortmund failed to qualify for the Champions League last season, after losing their manager Jurgen Klopp, the club seem to have redoubled their efforts to keep hold of key men. As such, it’d be a massive surprise if they accepted an offer of £25 million.
United, it seems, have now moved onto other targets. As noted by Short, both Sergio Ramos and Nicolas Otamendi have been touted as potential candidates to shore up the defensive structure of this team; while Hummels would be a fine addition, so too would either of the aforementioned centre-backs.
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