5 World Cup Stars For Van Gaal To Sign

Even before Louis Van Gaal officially leaves his post as Netherlands head coach, his new Manchester United side have been busy in the summer transfer market.

Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera will line up at Old Trafford next season but when the Dutch World Cup campaign finally comes to an end, it’s certain that the dealings will intensify.

Here are five candidates for LVG to consider from Brazil 2014.

1. James Rodriguez

A strong contender for the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player, Monaco’s Colombian international has indicated that he would be prepared to leave France due to the lack of competitive football in Ligue 1.

Manchester United have been linked with the 22 year old for some time but the bad news is that Rodriguez has said that he would prefer to avoid the Premier League due to the physical nature of the play over in England. However, the attacking midfielder may get an easier ride at Old Trafford than he did in the quarter final against Brazil where he was a clear target for some rough treatment.

A £65m transfer fee plus wages comparable to those he currently earns may be enough to persuade James Rodriguez to join the Old Trafford revolution.

2. Enner Valencia

United are priced at 6.60 with Betfair to win the Premier League in 2014-15 but if they are to recover from the issues of last season, there has to be adequate cover for the front men. Javier Hernandez may well be on his way out of Old Trafford so who does Van Gaal bring in to provide reliable back up for Rooney and Van Persie?

Valencia came into the World Cup with a record of 18 strikes in 23 games for Mexican club side Pachuca and he ended the tournament having scored all of Ecuador’s three goals in the campaign.

Admittedly he may get more game time at other clubs but the draw of playing at Old Trafford may be enough for LVG to clinch the deal.

3. Mats Hummels

The centre of defence remains a problem area for the club as we still await replacements for Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Hummels has been an alleged target for some time and he will have peaked Van Gaal’s interest after a positive World Cup.

Tight displays at the back have been supplemented by two important goals for Germany and there can be few better, potentially available centre backs in Europe right now.

4. Arturo Vidal

Juventus’ midfielder Vidal shone as his Chilean side took Brazil all the way to penalties in their round of 16 game and according to the Guardian, he has emerged as a £40m transfer target for Manchester United.

The 27 year old has been with Juve since 2011 and would undoubtedly add some much needed steel in the centre of midfield and while £40m may seem a little excessive, it’s claimed that the Turin club may be interested in taking Nani as part of the deal.

5. Angel Di Maria

Anyone who witnessed the first 117 minutes of Argentina’s round of 16 tie with Switzerland would have hoped that any link to Real’s Di Maria would quickly disappear. The 26 year old had a complete shocker but while most managers would have hauled him off at half time, the player repaid Alex Sabella’s faith with the winner in the closing minutes of extra time.

Overall, the World Cup hasn’t showcased Di Maria at his best while a thigh injury threatens to end his competition prematurely. Is a reported fee of €60m simply too much or would the midfielder be an adequate alternative should any move for James Rodriguez fall through?