Manchester United Transfer News: Huge Aleksandar Dragovic, Islam Slimani Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly set to complete a deal to sign Aleksandar Dragovic from Dynamo Kiev in “the next few hours.”

Sport Mediaset (h/t Bruce Archer of the Daily Express) claimed late on Wednesday that a £16 million transfer for the centre-back was close to going through, with manager Louis van Gaal said to be keen on adding some defensive reinforcements to his squad.

Dragovic, an impressive 24-year-old central defender, would certainly fulfil those requirements. Here’s what he could bring to Old Trafford:

Defensively, United haven’t had too many problems this season. The structured manner in which the Red Devils set up makes them very difficult to play through, and if a team is clever enough to expose their back four, Chris Smalling and David De Gea pose formidable obstacles to attackers.

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A partner for Smalling would certainly help matters, though. Dragovic seems as though he’d potentially be an ideal fit, bringing a commanding presence in the air and an assurance on the ball too. 

He’s a player who BBC commentator John Bradley isn’t completely convinced by, though:

There’s still plenty to learn for the Austria international, as is the case with any 24-year-old defender, but there’s undeniable potential. His Kiev team have progressed through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, with his tough tackling and positional discipline key to their form in the competition.

Kiev surely wouldn't be keen on selling with such challenges to come, however, while United have other areas of the squad which need to be addressed more urgently than the centre-back spots. So while Dragovic would be a handy capture, it’d be a huge surprise if the transfer was as far along as reported.

United Eyeing Islam Slimani

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One area which does need strengthening at Old Trafford is the attacking side of this team and, according to the Sun’s Neil Custis, Manchester United are hoping to sign Islam Slimani in a £12 million deal from Sporting Club.

The Algeria international is having a fine campaign with the Lisbon side, netting 13 times in 16 league games this season. Here’s a recap of some of his standout moments:

For the Red Devils, getting goals has been a big issue under Van Gaal. The football is one-paced, lateral and subsequently pretty easy to defend against.

The Old Trafford side did draw 3-3 with Newcastle United in their last outing, which was a tremendous game. But as Squawka Football noted in the aftermath of the contest, scoring that many goals has been a long time coming:

If United played to Slimani’s strengths, then he may well be a useful purchase. The 27-year-old is a tremendous worker, an intelligent runner and has sharp feet despite his sturdy somatotype. As is evident by the aforementioned statistics, he’s clearly a player who knows where the back of the net is too.

Systemic changes are needed if any striker is to thrive at Old Trafford, though. Ponderous football inevitably sees forwards shackled and isolated at any level of the game.

So while Slimani does seem a decent fit for English football, few strikers in the game would find themselves thriving at Old Trafford unless alterations are quickly made.