Rumour: Ander Herrera and Ilkay Gundogan on Manchester United's radar

Ilkay Guendogan

As the build up to the winter transfer window creaks into full flow, The Metro have today linked Manchester United with moves for three players as they look to make up ground on Premier League leaders Arsenal. The newspaper has linked them with Everton full-back Leighton Baines, Atletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.

United were heavily criticised for their summer transfer action, buying only then-Everton midfielder Maroune Fellaini. This came despite a widely held desire for the club to pull off a marquee midfield signing.

Leighton Baines was a long time summer target for Moyes, with the on-off transfer saga one of the main sideshows surrounding the early days of Moyes’s tenure. Baines is currently out with a broken toe but Moyes looks certain to return with a new bid for the England left back, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding captain Patrice Evra who is out of contract in the summer.

Herrera was also linked with the club in the summer, even falling victim to imposters pretending to be Manchester United representatives. United were rumoured to have baulked at the Spanish side’s summer asking price for the midfielder, but are allegedly to return with a bid in the new year.

Gundogan – who is reportedly also interesting Arsenal and Real Madrid – is entering the final 18 months of his contract at Dortmund and will represent a coup if United can snare him from the Champions League finalists. Rumour suggests that former Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa could be used as a makeweight in a deal for the German, who has been restricted to one appearance this season by injury.