Manchester United’s owners are planning to back the club massively in the coming years to raise their value to a staggering £3billion, well, according to reports over the weekend. Edward Glazer recently sent out a prospectus to potential interested parties in the USA after putting three million of his own shares up for sale, with promises of global stars heading to Old Trafford to boost the team’s profile and worth across the globe.
The addition of Angel di Maria, despite a lack of Champions League football, over the summer is an indication of the ambition at the club, and taking advantage of a potential top four finish, which looks likely after the drubbing of Liverpool, is something the hierarchy at Old Trafford are keen to do. But which players will become a part of the ‘Gaalactico’ era?
Here are FIVE we think could be targets…
Gareth Bale
The world’s most expensive player after his £86m move from Spurs to Real Madrid last summer, Bale is certainly not a star out of United’s reach. Reports have already suggested that Los Blancos are, on the quiet, keen to offload their man for a profit, with manager Carlo Ancelotti no longer convinced by the Welsh wing wizard.
Even this season, in which his contribution is being questioned, the 25-year-old has already notched nine goal in 17 appearances, and his stats from 2013/14 are even more impressive – 21 goals and 16 assists. A fee of around £90m – £100m has already been spoken of, which could make Bale the ultimate statement of intent for United.
Thomas Muller
Possibly one of the most underrated players in European football, Muller has been a shining star for some time. The German attacker is by no means a flashy forward, but he gets the job done, as his statistics from the past few seasons truly reveal.
A product of Bayern’s youth set-up, luring the 25-year-old away from the Allianz Arena may be tricky, but the promise of being a key player for United in a, potentially, exciting period may be enough to sway him. The video below shows his best five Bundesliga goals… there are some crackers!
//www.youtube.com/embed/xzJerP4Llv8
Mats Hummels
While the term ‘Galactico’ throws up images of attacking talents such as Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham, a good, solid centre-back can also warrant the tag. In a period of time in which top-class defenders are in limited supply, Hummels looks to be the pick of the bunch, with the German tough and uncompromising in his style of play, while adept enough on the ball to launch attacks and charge forward from the back – hence the Franz Beckenbauer comparisons.
Dortmund are not enjoying a great deal of success in the Bundesliga right now, which has opened the door for the World Cup winner to leave for the right price. And that price may be a ‘Galactico’ figure of £40m+.
Mario Gotze
Another German to consider in Gotze. The slender playmaker has long been considered to be one of Europe’s best passers, and at the age of 22 he’s well and truly on his way to picking up all of the major honours available to him. A controversial move from Dortmund to Bayern in 2013 has yielded success for the starlet, but rumours of a switch away from the Allianz Arena have circulated in recent times.
//www.youtube.com/embed/J0l0CtDMXpY
As one of the very best ‘No. 10’s’ around, United would benefit massively from adding Gotze to their ranks, with a partnership with Angel di Maria enough to set pulses racing.
Paul Pogba
Now this one would be a shock, but money speaks. Pogba left Manchester United in 2012 to join Juventus, and quickly spoke out about his frustration with life at Old Trafford, suggesting that he would never return to the club. Ironically, the France international appears to be the type of player United now need above all others, which has led to rumours that the Red Devils are among the host of clubs looking at the 21-year-old.
//www.youtube.com/embed/xLkjRYQjfgE
Compared to Patrick Vieira, Pogba has been lauded for his physicality and technique, which have already led to talk that he’s destined to be one of the best central midfielders of his era. Juve tied their man down to a new contract a few months ago, but the Old Lady have already confessed that they cannot compete with the financial power of English clubs… read into that what you will.
