Manchester United needs to strengthen their back-line to be genuine title contenders

Van Gaal has not brought in any centre-backs yet despite needing reinforcements in that department

It's that time of the year again! Record deals, surprise transfers, failed medicals. It's an exciting time to be a football fan during the transfer window. The Premier League, especially, is inviting some stirring overseas talent, which promises to make the 2015/16 season a mouth-watering prospect.

At the forefront of the transfer market are two great rivals of English football- Manchester United and Liverpool. Both clubs had a pretty mediocre season, in spite of spending big in the window last year.

Though Louis van Gaal's men did manage to qualify for the Champions League, the 20-time champions looked a shadow of their past self. King Louis, certainly needs to address few areas if they want to challenge for the title this season.

The defence is certainly a section of the team that needs some patch up. It was quite remarkable that van Gaal chose to overlook this department last season, especially after Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra left the club and Rio Ferdinand was released. With an experience of over 1000 games and 30 trophies, the trio certainly left a big void in United's back line.

Luke Shaw made a big money move to Manchester, but the 20-year old has been plagued by injuries and fitness issues in his first season, starting just 15 games. The talented left-back has been touted as the long-term replacement for Patrice Evra and would be interesting to see how LVG uses him this year.

The left-back position seems to be more or less covered for United with Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo both capable of filling into Shaw's shoes. Moreover, 21- year old Tyler Blackett also made a strong case for the position after some impressive performances last year.

The heart of the United back line is probably the weakest link and one which needs an urgent fix. What the Red Devils lack in their defence right now is leadership- someone who can skillfully marshal the troops, making it difficult even for the most feared strikers to get past them. 'Senior' defenders Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans certainly do not inspire that.

Argentine Marcos Rojo was an addition during the squad overhaul last season. The centre-back did a reasonably good job in his position, turning out to be one of the success stories of Ed Woodward's reign.

Rojo, who turned 25 in March, is still pretty young and inexperienced at the heart of the United defence and does not command the fear or conduct that Ferdinand or Vidic gave the Red Devils.

The targets

Sergio Ramos could very well be staying at Real Madrid

If widespread rumors are to be believed, Spanish defender Sergio Ramos is unhappy with the way his contract situation is being dealt with by Real Madrid. The club however said that the defender is not for sale. But anything can happen till the end of the window and this transfer saga could drag on.

But, if Ramos does indeed sign for United, Van Gaal would pull off a major coup. Also, the impending situation with David De Gea means United can use the stopper as leverage to sign Ramos.

With a cabinet full of honors which include the La Liga (3 times), Champions League, Euros and the World Cup, Ramos certainly knows how to win trophies. His experience at the highest levels can certainly provide United the leadership in defence they need so dearly.

But, Ramos has never played in the Premier League and a competition in which even the best have struggled to adapt, the centre back will have his work cut out if he does move to Manchester.

The speculation of United's defensive reinforcements is incomplete without mentioning the name of their most prized target- Mats Hummels. The coveted German international was being widely linked to United last season but turned down the offer to stay at Borussia Dortmund.

The German club had a miserable season last year, finishing seventh and failing to qualify for Europe. That prompted Jurgen Klopp to step down as manager after seven years with BVB and many speculated Hummels would follow suit out of the Bundesliga club.

Acquiring Hummels would have gone a long way to sort out issues in central defence for Louis van Gaal. But, the 26-year-old, confessing he was flattered by the interest from United, confirmed that he would still be staying with the German outfit.

27-year old Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi is another name that is being tossed up in the long list of speculated defenders that have got United interested. The Argentine would form a formidable partnership at United with his international compatriot Marcos Rojo.

Not only this, the centre-back would also provide some much-needed height to the United defence that often failed to clear away danger from set pieces- Rafael marking Didier Drogba was a bizarre example of the mismatch.

Centre-back Paddy McNair is a name worth mentioning while talking about United's back line. The competent 20-year old, who can also double up as right-back, was promoted to the senior by Van Gaal last season. Notching up some formidable performances, he is surely one for the future and if groomed properly could go on to become a homegrown success story for the English club.

Antonio Valencia filled in at right-back for the bulk of the season, signaling the lack of confidence LVG had in United's regular choice, Rafael. Surely, Van Gaal cannot take a chance with the makeshift defender for the second season running. After all, it was his mistake that lead to the winner when Manchester United got knocked out of the FA cup by Arsenal last year.

Missing out on targets

Matteo Darmian is a versatile defender who will add depth to the United squad

United were thought to be closing in on a deal for Barcelona's Dani Alves, before the meticulous Brazilian signed an extension with the Spanish giants. Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne was also linked to the club, but all kinds of speculations were squashed when the England international signed for rivals Liverpool.

It was only a couple of weeks back that little known Italian defender Matteo Darmian signed for United. Versatility is often mentioned by Van Gaal as one of the aspects of his philosophy and Darmian certainly gives United that. The former Torino defender can play on both the flanks and even occupy a central position, if need be.

United great Gary Neville has spoken highly of the talented right-back, recalling the torrid time he gave the English team during their World Cup tie against Italy. Whether or not Darmian will be able to cope up with the physical presence and pace of the Premier League remains to be seen, and if successful, he will certainly be a welcome addition to the United back line.

The scrambled defence was fourth in the Premiership in terms of goals conceded, but that was largely thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper David De Gea. The Spaniard has come of age at United, improving phenomenally over the past two seasons and has been probably a major reason why the Red Devils are back in the top four. Continued rumors link him to Real Madrid, and with just one year remaining on his contract, De Gea looks increasingly likely to return to his hometown.

Replacing De Gea would be an enormous task for United. Danish stopper Anders Lindegaard has played backup for most of his United career and cannot be seen as a full-time successor of the Spanish ace.

While, former Barcelona stalwart Victor Valdes seems to have fallen out of favor with LVG at United after his apparent refusal to play for the reserves. French captain Hugo Lloris has been constantly linked to the club after expressing his desire to play in the Champions League. The 28-year old, who has 67 caps for his country, was phenomenal in goal last season for Tottenham and seems an able replacement for De Gea.

Expectations will be higher than ever from LVG's men this season and the fans and media alike, would be expecting them to lift a few trophies after a couple of years without any silverware. Redesigning the back four (or back three as Van Gaal likes it to be) would go a long way in aiding the former Premier League champions. Go on then, Mr. Woodward.