Manchester United Transfer News: Claudio Bravo, Gregory van der Wiel Rumours

Manchester United are considering a move for Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo if David De Gea opts to leave Old Trafford for Real Madrid and are also eyeing Paris Saint-Germain's Gregory van der Wiel—who is out of contract in the summer. 

Spanish outlet Don Balon (h/t Mark Brus of Metro) claimed the Chile international is on United's shopping list if they lose their No. 1 to Los Blancos.

Miguel Delaney of the Independent said the Galacticos are confident of overturning the player registration ban imposed by FIFA—which would stop them fielding new captures until 2017—and will push ahead with their plans to bring De Gea to the Bernabeu at the end of the campaign.

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Despite the refreshed links to Real, United coach Louis van Gaal recently said De Gea is happy at the club and is not thinking about a move back to Spain, per Football Espana.

"I don't think this kind of thing is playing on the mind of David," Van Gaal said at a press conference ahead of United’s recent Premier League clash with Liverpool. "I never have thought that. All I am seeing is a player who is enjoying staying here and playing good games."

Bravo has been first choice in La Liga for the Blaugrana since signing from Real Sociedad in 2014, restricting Germany international Marc-Andre ter Stegen to appearances in cup competitions, despite the latter being rated as one of the best young goalkeepers on the planet.

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The Chilean played 37 games for Barca in the Primera Division last term, according to WhoScored.com, as the team captured the treble, with Bravo impressing between the sticks for coach Luis Enrique.

However, at 32, Bravo would not be considered a progressive replacement for the younger De Gea and might struggle with the physical punishment on offer in English football. 

The Red Devils are reportedly also watching Ter Stegen, per Italian outlet Calciomercato (h/t the Daily Star's Alex Harris), identifying the German as a potential like-for-like replacement for their Spain international No. 1. 

Here is a video of Bravo's finest moments in recent times:

Goal's Ben Hayward recently said he agrees with Barcelona's decision to utilise Bravo as the more senior of their two goalkeepers but also hailed 23-year-old Ter Stegen as one to watch for the future:

United are also considering options to bolster their defensive unit, with PSG right-back Van der Wiel becoming the latest name to be linked with a move to the Theatre of Dreams.

French newspaper L'Equipe (h/t talkSPORT) said the experienced Netherlands international "has stalled on signing a new contract" after learning of interest from United and Chelsea. PSG made a late bid to tempt the player to re-sign with them after deciding they would like to retain the 27-year-old.

It is worth noting Van der Wiel featured for Van Gaal while the latter was in charge of the Netherlands national team between 2012 and 2014, but the coach dropped the player for the 2014 World Cup, freezing him out of his squad in a major selection shock, as reported by Sky Sports.

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Van der Wiel was once regarded one of Europe's most progressive full-backs, but it is debatable whether he is better than first-choice United right-back Matteo Darmian.

Darmian's form has suffered after a bright start to life at the the Theatre of Dreams, but this could be down to the tactical restrictions enforced on the first team by the manager. 

Van der Wiel would also struggle in the current setup, but he would bring Dutch methodology to the starting XI, which LvG would appreciate.

However, if United's poor form continues, Van Gaal might not be at Old Trafford once the PSG player's deal expires in the summer, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News. The manager is walking the plank as his team fails on the pitch, and the current standard provided by the first team will likely not be tolerated much longer.