Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is highlighting four players he wants to bring to Old Trafford during the summer. This could mean another £150M spending spree for the honoured Dutchman, after acquiring Ángel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Radamel Falcao, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind to prepare for his first season at Old Trafford.
4th only a platform
However, after his first twelve months in charge for the 20-times champions, United are still not where they want to be. The fourth spot achieved in 2014/15 was just a platform to get there, and Van Gaal is now looking to bring in another few faces to reach the final and utmost target: Winning the English top-flight without Sir Alex Ferguson in the dugout, a feat the club hasn't managed since George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law were among the absolute elite of footballers. Sir Matt Busby won the league five times whilst at the club, most recently in 1967, the second most recent manager to win the league with United.
Flying Dutchman between the sticks?
With David De Gea browsing RyanAir.com looking for a Madrid-bound flight, Ajax shotstopper Jasper Cillesen has "emerged as the likely candidate to succeed him" at United, according to The Mirror. United believe they can land the Netherlands international for around £20M, in spite of Ajax' £25M demand.
Vamos Ramos?
Furthermore, United are looking for some proper payment by Real Madrid for the seemingly inevitable transfer of De Gea, and Sergio Ramos, whose relationship to the club and particularly club president Florentino Pérez has sourned significantly, being a highly regarded target. United will apparently not let any De Gea deal go through unless Los Blancos send the Spanish centre-back with 128 caps the other way.
Schweinsation at Old Trafford?
In recent years, Michael Carrick has been the most important figure for United in recent years, with the side frequently delivering appalling displays when he has been absent, which he was quite a few times last season. The question is whether the injury-prone 31-year-old Bastian Schweinsteiger is the solution, but The Mirror claim Van Gaal thinks he is. The manager worked with Schweinsteiger at Bayern Munich, and converted him successfully from a winger to a central midfielder, so at least they've got some chemistry to build on.
Van Persie out?
Additionally, United are looking for a striker, and Real Madrid's Frenchman Karim Benzema and Tottenham's hotshot Harry Kane are the ones on the top of Van Gaal's wishlist, eventually leaving Robin van Persie to back his bags in Manchester.