Five players Manchester United could sign in the summer

Manchester United have had a mixed bag of a season under Louis van Gaal so far. Though, they are on course to attain a top four finish which was their priority for this season, even Van Gaal would admit that he would have wanted more from his side, especially after spending almost £150 million last summer.It seems Manchester United are set to go two straight seasons without silverware for the first time since Ferguson won the FA Cup in 1990 and Van Gaal and his army cannot afford to have another trophyless season.It will be a sure thing that Manchester United will sign some players before the start of next season to strengthen their squad and challenge for trophies.From Cristiano Ronaldo to Paul Pogba to Gareth Bale to even Messi, Manchester United always gets linked to a host of players but only a selected few are signed by Manchester United. Here are five players who could be signed by the club in the summer:

#1 Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton)

Louis van Gaal has used a winger, Antonio Valencia, as the right back for Manchester United this season. It’s no doubt the Ecuadorian has done a reasonable job but he cannot be a long-term option for Manchester United and with Van Gaal not trusting Rafael, it would not be surprising if Manchester United sign a right-back this summer.

One right back who has been heavily linked with Manchester United is 24-year-old Southampton player Nathaniel Clyne. Clyne has started twenty-nine league fixtures this campaign, staying on the pitch for an impressive 2607 minutes and scored twice for the Saints.

His disciplinary record has been fantastic this season with the player only picking up three yellow cards. He is another typical modern day right-back who likes to get forward and has terrific pace and crossing abilities. He’s also strong and very good in defence.

The youngster has already broken into the English national side and has been capped four times. The fact that he’s English is an added bonus due to the homegrown quota teams need to fill these days.

He may cost Manchester United more compared to other right-backs available, but he can surely be moulded into a player who will be a fixture in the team for a long time to come. It would be interesting to see whether the Dutch manager can lure him to sign for the Red Devils.

#2 Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)

One of the biggest weak links for Manchester United this season has been their defence. Even though, they have the third best defensive record in the league, most of the credit should go to the goalkeeper David de Gea.

There is no doubt that Manchester United would require at least one (if not two) strong centre-backs and what better player to sign than the German international Mats Hummels. Hummels is a calm and composed defender whose passing ability would make him a great asset to United’s back four and his style would suit Van Gaal’s possession based football.

Further, a player of the German’s calibre will help solidify United’s defence and help Phil Jones and Chris Smalling realise their potential. He can be the figure of authority that the Red Devils have lacked in the absence of the vastly experienced trio of Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra.

The 26-year-old is not having his best of seasons for his club, but his quality is undeniable. Hummels is an elegant defender with a wonderful reading of the game. He is confident on the ball, with the quality to spot and execute passes from the back.

Recently, he himself admitted that he may leave Dortmund soon. Hummels could be available for around £30 million, which isn’t a bad price for a World Cup winner and Champions League finalist. Many reports suggest Manchester United are leading the race to sign him. What would be Dortmund’s loss would definitely be United’s gain too.

#3 Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund)

Louis van Gaal has already admitted that he would require a midfielder to get the balance of his team right, so it won’t be surprising if they sign a midfielder this summer. Gundogan has been one of many midfielders that the Dutch manager has been keeping his eye on. There have been rumours that Gundogan could join his Dortmund teammate Hummels in playing for Manchester United next season.

Gundogan, 24, has been with Dortmund since 2011. He replaced Dortmund hero Nuri Sahin in their starting line-up when he joined and has not looked back since then. He did the double with Dortmund in his first year at the club and also scored a penalty in the Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich two years ago.

Even though he missed almost the whole of last season because of a serious back injury, he has made a great comeback for Dortmund and has been one of the very few standout players for them this season.

The German prefers to play as a deep-lying playmaker and could be a perfect partner to Herrera in the Manchester United midfield, thereby bringing the much-needed balance the team want. Also, unlike other midfield targets like Pogba and Vidal, Gundogan will not cost Manchester United that much money as his contract with Dortmund will expire in 2016.

#4 Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven)

Memphis Depay is considered to be the hottest property in Dutch football right now. Many would have already seen a glimpse of Depay’s in last year’s World Cup where he scored 2 goals for Netherlands.

As per multiple reports Depay will surely leave PSV Eindhoven this summer and Manchester United have been thought to be his most likely destination. Even PSV director Marcel Brands has admitted recently that Depay may leave, saying, “The chances are very high that he leaves. If you see what clubs are enquiring about him, they really are the best in Europe… With a heavy heart [we would let him go], because a great player and a great guy leaves. But we are also proud that a boy from the academy is going to make such a step.”

The 21-year-old Holland international would prefer a move to Old Trafford as he has worked with Van Gaal for the Dutch team and he respects him as a father figure. Van Gaal was in Amsterdam last month to see Depay steal the show for his country in a 2-0 win over European champions Spain and the performance further emphasised the fact that the PSV youngster is a player of vast potential.

Many are already comparing him to Robben and with the way Depay has been performing for PSV this season, it will not be surprising if he even surpasses the great Robben’s achievements. The PSV left-winger has scored 25 goals this season and is almost helping his team win the Dutch league on his own.

#5 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)

It was just two seasons ago that Gareth Bale became the most expensive player when Real Madrid bought him from Tottenham. Since joining, the Welsh wizard has helped Real Madrid win the Champions League, Copa del Rey (where he scored a beautiful solo goal against Barcelona) and FIFA World Club Championship.

But, things have not looked that good for Bale this season as he is currently feeling the heat from the fans in Spain and has been criticised a lot in the Spanish press. There has been a strong rumour that a return to the Premier League this summer is a genuine possibility and Manchester United could be one of the front runners to sign him.

This will not be the first time Manchester United are trying to sign the former Spurs player. Before he joined Tottenham from Southampton in 2007, Sir Alex was interested in bringing him to Manchester United and the Red Devils almost signed Bale again in 2013, before Real Madrid swooped in with a world record offer for the Welshman.

Reports have suggested Real would be willing to sell for the right price in order to fund moves for other players. The only concern for Manchester United would be that the money required to land Bale might be a little too much.

All United supporters would be hoping that Bale does not come at the expense of De Gea leaving the club and joining Real Madrid. Nevertheless, a player of Bale’s calibre is surely hard to turn down and he could be the key for the 20-time Champions to get back to winning the Premier League title next season.