Manchester United: 7 Players Who Could Fit the Bill as Reds Final Summer Signing

Blackjack is a game in which fortunes are made or broken on the smallest of margins.

“Stick or twist;” the operative question. Three words with resonance way beyond the literal.

Sir Alex Ferguson this summer faces a very similar dilemma. After trailblazing the early path with an eye-opening £50 million-plus spending splurge, stick or twist is exactly what he must now decide.

Stick: Accept what he has on the roster, central midfield flaws and all, and in the process save what would in all likelihood is north of £25 million. Or twist: aim to plug the leaks, waterproof the squad and spend the cash.

Business acumen in such a situation becomes the optimum word. Weighing up the financial stability of the club that is just starting to heal, against the potential gains of accruing that last piece in the red jigsaw.

A club with an expansive, fresh, talented youth structure such as United’s would certainly help to plug the gaps of the “stick” option. Ravel Morrison, Paul Pogba and Tom Cleverley are all ready and willing.

Yet that slideshow has already been done. So what the heck, let's twist eh?

Yann M'vila: Rennes

For me M’Vila is possibly the best option on this list if an accumulation of fee and ability is taken into account.

The young, French, defensive-minded midfielder shot to fame, along with international recognition for his country in the aftermath of their shambolic display in the 2010 World Cup.

A combative player at only 21 years of age and currently plying his trade for mid-tabling French side Rennes, the transfer would not be too hard for a club of United’s stature to force through.

Looking to the future, M’Vila would also be an effective foil for the attacking inclinations of a Ravel Morrison (if he can sort his head out).

He is part of the future of French football and for £15 million he could be United’s too.

Steven Defour: Standard Liege

Some times in life it is the smallest gestures that mean the most.

Back in 2009 when Belgium and Standard Liege captain Steven Defour was lying prone in his hospital bed after suffering a career threatening foot injury, a card landed for him in the post.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the well-wisher from whom the card originated, had penned his concern over Defour’s condition and wished him luck in his recovery.

Now recovered and having rediscovered his form, inevitable rumours of Defour's impending switch to Old Trafford have been rife over the last year.

The player himself has done nothing to quash the rumours, simply going on record to state that there was “more chance at the end of the season” if he continued his good form.

What a difference a card makes…

Lassana Diarra: Real Madrid

Lass is no stranger to the English game, having plied his trade for Portsmouth, Chelsea and Arsenal over the past five years.

He is now with the Galacticos of Madrid. But with a central midfield currently consisting of Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Kaka, Mesut Ozil and the upcoming Sergio Canales, rumours are rife that Diarra’s position is expendable.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s opinion of “Lass” is known to be positive and a fee of no more than £20 million means the Frenchman would be half the price of primary United target Wesley Sneijder.

Premiership experience in these situations is invaluable. Lass has it in bucket-loads.

Wesley Sneijder: Inter Milan

If you don’t know if, how or why Manchester United would be interested in the signing of Wesley Sneijder, I will have to assume that you are an ostrich who has had the misfortune of having his head stuck in the sand for the last four years. (If this is your situation I would like to apologise and offer my commiserations at your unfortunate predicament, while welcoming you into 2011,)

If I could be so bold at to assume, due to my reservations over ostriches' technological capabilities that such a situation will not arise, I think it is safe to say that United protracted affinity with the Dutchman will be common knowledge.

The question is not if he is needed. A more pertinent query is, at the cost of in excess of £60 million (fee and wages for four to five years), does the talent warrant the exuberant price tag?

For that one we cross to our correspondent Fernando Torres…

Paulo Henrique Ganso: Santos

In the furore over the precocious 19-year-old talent of Neymar, it is sometimes easy to forget that Santos have another, almost equally talented, prospect on their books. Yet such is reality and the ripples emitting from the boots of Ganso are almost as far reaching as for those of his younger teammate.

As much as United fans may yearn for his signing Neymar is a completely fantastical signing. The exuberant £40 million transfer for a player who would not thrive in the physicality of the EPL is ludicrous (*cough cough Chelsea). Yet perhaps more pressingly, another striker would be void amongst the abundance of forward riches Sir Alex is at liberty to call upon.

Ganso, on the other hand fits a birth that hasn’t been accurately assumed since a small ginger man was in his pomp. His attacking flair emanating from the middle would, once he was given opportunity to mould into the Red’s system, become perfect foil for the more defensive tendencies of a Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick or Phil Jones.

He perhaps wouldn’t be a revelation straight away, but in the long term, rather than being Santos’ second favourite son, at United I have no doubt he would be the preferred option.

Douglas Costa: Shaktar Donestk

Part of the allure of Douglas Costa is his adaptability. With United’s formation as geared as it is to this innate flexibility of its players, combined with the young Brazilian’s talent, it would leave him right at home.

Signed last year by Ukranian powerhouse Shaktar Donetsk, the 20-year-old Brazilian youth international has really matured as a player in his year in Ukraine.

While any potential sale due to Costa’s improvement would leave Shaktar with a healthy profit from their investment—I would envisage £10 million—United would be purchasing a player well on the road to finished article status.

With United now possessing a sizeable Brazilian contingent—what with the Da Silva twins and Anderson—maybe it's time another Samba kid joined the party?

Danielle De Rossi: Roma

As captain of both Roma and Italy, Danielle De Rossi is hardly an obscure name. Yet with Roma’s well publicised fragile financial status paralyzing the Italian club, De Rossi could soon become to big for the Roman pond.

No longer a real challenger for honour in Serie A (coming in sixth last term) a player of De Rossi’s calibre—despite his close affinity to his boyhood club—may soon become disillusioned with the team's ailing situation.

And when he does…

At only 27 years of age the Italian enforcer has a good few years left in him yet. So if the situation did arise the £15-20 million it would take to guide the disillusioned player to Manchester would most certainly be money well spent.