Manchester United Transfer News: Big Names Linked to Red Devils, Top Rumours

Manchester United are looking set for another big summer of action in the transfer window as manager Louis van Gaal looks to bolster his squad ahead of the upcoming season.

The Red Devils returned to the Premier League's top four in 2014-15, but there are still improvements that need to be made if they are to challenge for the title once more.

Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe suggests a new right-back, central midfielder and striker are needed if United are to mount a serious challenge in the Premier League:

And Van Gaal looks set to address at least one of those areas imminently.

In the deep-lying midfield role, United are currently over-reliant on an ageing Michael Carrick. However, Van Gaal is apparently confident of bringing in reinforcements in the near future.

According to Jamie Jackson in the Guardian, the signing of Bayern Munich's Bastian Schweinsteiger is imminent, but United are also still confident of acquiring Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin. 

The French defensive midfielder has stated his ambition is to play for a Champions League club but stay in England on numerous occasions, per Sam Cunningham on MailOnline.

Arsenal were initially seen as the most likely destination for Schneiderlin, but United have been the more proactive, putting in a bid of £20 million for the 25-year-old that was rejected by Saints, per Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News.

Jackson's report suggests United are confident they can succeed with a new bid of close to £25 million, slightly below Southampton manager Ronald Koeman's £27 million valuation.

The France international would be a brilliant addition at United. He is a true defensive midfielder with terrific distribution skills and a combative edge, as shown by his tackling stats, per WhoScored.com:

He would likely slot into the United side with ease, having prospered in the Premier League for Southampton over the last few seasons.

A natural heir to Carrick, Schneiderlin would take the pressure off the Englishman in the coming season and could then claim the role of United's midfield enforcer for years to come, providing a solid base and allowing those in front of him to play their natural games.

In a similar replacement vein, Van Gaal has apparently picked out Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak as the man to fill David De Gea's gloves when the Spaniard inevitably departs for Real Madrid this summer.

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According to Marco Ruiz in AS, Van Gaal is a huge admirer of the 22-year-old Slovenian and "considers him to be an even better prospect than De Gea." 

The report stated that Atleti will demand United meet Oblak's €45 million (£32 million) buyout clause if they are to sign the shot-stopper.

Movement in De Gea's proposed transfer to Real has stalled somewhat as United hold out for the £30 million transfer fee they want for the goalkeeper, per David Anderson in the Mirror.

But he seems likely to depart eventually, and Oblak is seemingly a fine prospect to replace De Gea, and he has the confidence of Van Gaal.

Of course, given De Gea's immense performances last season, he is all but irreplaceable at the moment. But the signing of a long-term prospect such as Oblak would be a good move from United as they look to the future, especially as the experienced Victor Valdes is still at the club.

The Red Devils will surely look to bring Oblak in for below the his buyout clause, but attempts will seemingly be made to sign him up over the summer.

Work needs to be done by Van Gaal and United to get them in a position to contend for the Premier League title next season. But they seem to be eyeing the right kind of targets, and further movement in the transfer market is supposedly imminent.