Biggest Issues Facing Manchester United in Final Month of 2015 Transfer Window

With Angel Di Maria reportedly on the verge of leaving Manchester United, how does the current squad stack up against the potential rigours of the season ahead? What needs to happen in the final month of the window for United to count themselves among the contenders for the Premier League title?

Di Maria's departure is not yet confirmed, but is reportedly imminent, per David Maddock in the Daily Mirror, who says United are "holding out for more than £45million for the Argentina International."

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In his place, Maddock also reports that Pedro is set to join. This will help to address the pace and creativity which Louis van Gaal spoke about wanting to add to his squad, per Joe Bernstein in the Mail on Sunday.

Indeed, Van Gaal placed tremendous importance on this, citing is as vital to winning the league.

Di Maria's departure makes that need all the more vital since, in theory at least, he has both speed and creative ability in abundance. Although Pedro certainly has speed, how much creativity he would bring is open to debate. He has never managed double figures of assists in a Liga season, for instance.

He does score his share of goals, and has exceeded 10 goals in three of the last six league seasons. However, creativity is not his forte, and he has not cracked the top five of Barcelona's chance creators at any point in the past six seasons, per WhoScored.com.

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Thus, even if he arrives, there could still be room for a bona fide superstar creative attacking signing, of the kind United have been repeatedly linked with this summer. At this point it will be a surprise if that comes to pass, but there were plenty of surprises at the end of the last transfer window.

With central midfield having been finally and thoroughly addressed, the next area of the squad which needs significant improvement would appear to be the centre of defence. While Van Gaal may be happy to experiment with using Daley Blind and one of Phil Jones or Chris Smalling at the heart of the back four, it is hard to see that being truly effective.

United's reported pursuit of Sergio Ramos has been well documented. Jonny Singer of Mail Online reported on Monday that Real Madrid are confident in their ability to hold on to Ramos and sign David De Gea before the window ends. Singer also says that United have not ruled out a deal for Ramos' arrival.

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Losing De Gea without the arrival of Ramos would be a serious blow. Almost anyone brought in to directly replace De Gea would represent a drop off in quality. At that point, the importance of improving the defence is heightened. Last season, De Gea was able to save his defenders' blushes on plenty of occasions. Without him, they will simply have to do better.

If Ramos is part of the deal, the blow will be softened. A defensive leader with his credentials would go a long way to easing fears among fans. Whether he does or not, a quality centre-half still looks a must. Identifying De Gea's immediate replacement should he leave will also, of course, be a priority.

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There may be a couple of other departures too, after a summer that has seen plenty of players leaving Old Trafford. Jonny Evans' future at the club will presumably depend on who United bring in. Victor Valdes' departure can only be a matter of time, given Van Gaal's very public criticism of the player's attitude.

While additional creativity in attack would be a nice addition, it is the defence that is the key issue. De Gea's future, the identity of his replacement and the acquisition of a top-quality centre-half are the most crucial issues facing United over the next few weeks. How they handle those issues will be central to their title chances in the season ahead.