Manchester United Plans Biggest Transfer Splurge Ever
Club plans an overhaul set to cost up to £200m
The entire football world is abuzz with the news that Louis Van Gaal has been appointed as the new Manchester United Manager. The 62 year old Dutchman will take the Red Devils by the horns after the World Cup in Brazil. Interim manager Ryan Giggs, who took over after David Moyes was sacked, will act as his right hand man.
The new manager will be given a staggering £200m transfer budget to improve the squad and get the team off their mid-table slump. The team finished only seventh in the 2012/2013 English Premiere League season and failed to qualify for any European competitions next season.
Manchester United are in dire need of some defenders and central midfielders, with the club already making attempts to sign Southampton's Luke Shaw.
If all the planned transfers are completed successfully this summer, this will constitute the biggest spending splurge in the club's history.
Failure to qualify in the UEFA Champions League next season will play a major dent in the club's financial situation but the club's commercial clout in the Premiere League should be able to sustain them. The club have only ever spent around £50million in one transfer window but look to go well over that amount this summer.
United are trying their best to put deals in place before the World Cup. Other big clubs like Barcelona (Marc-André ter Stegen and Alen Halilovic),Manchester City (Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala) and Chelsea (Diego Costa) are already neck-deep into securing new signings.
United believe they can afford any player in the world. It is simply a question of them becoming up for sale.
Apart from availability, the world's elite players won't be too keen to miss the Champion's League action next season.
Previous manager Moyes and the club's chief scout Jim Lawlor, identified the positions in which United need are weak and need to reinforce. United's need for new players on left-back and central midfield is obvious, but other positions are likely to be considered as United need at least four signings to lift the standard to the level of their rivals. It is now only a question of whether Moyes and Van Gaal had the same players in mind.
United are confident they will sign 18 year old left-back Luke Shaw, from Southampton for around £30million. A hindrance would be the interest of Spanish giants Real Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Toni Kroos is also being targeted from Bayern, but the player may be using their interest to strengthen his contract negotiations with his current club. Another play will be made to secure Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona after he rejected United's advances last summer.
Edinson Cavani, the Paris St Germain striker, is the first-choice option in his position. Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus and French defender Mangala, are also on the list.
Three of United's back four of recent years will be leaving this summer: Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, and Rio Ferdinand. Which signals that a complete overhaul of te team is about to take place. The futures of the rest of the squad will become clear in the coming month as new manager Van Gall reveals his cards.