Louis van Gaal will be handed in excess of £100 million by Manchester United to recruit at least four major signings next summer with the club prepared to repeat this year’s huge investment in the squad.
Despite spending more than £150 million during the summer transfer window to add seven new players, including a £6 million loan deal for Monaco forward Radamel Falcao, United manager Van Gaal and senior figures at Old Trafford regard next summer as a continuation of the process which began with the overhaul of the playing staff in the build-up to this season.
If he spends the full transfer budget, it will take United’s spending since Sir Alex Ferguson retired to more than £360 million – also taking into account the signings made under the brief reign of David Moyes.
With several players heading for the exit door at the end of this campaign, Van Gaal has identified Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman, Atlético Madrid centre-half Diego Godín, Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and Southampton full-back Nathaniel Clyne as potential replacements for those players whose United careers are set to come to an end.
Van Gaal is also planning to add a new striker to his squad next summer and the Dutchman will pursue other options if he chooses against sanctioning the permanent signing of Falcao for a pre-agreed €55 million (£43.2 million) from Monaco.
Having missed out on Champions League football this term following last season’s seventh-placed finish under Moyes, United’s American owners, the Glazer family, accept the need to continue the rebuilding of the first-team squad and the investment it will require.
United’s absence from the Champions League will cost the club some £40 million in lost revenue this season and there are also penalty clauses in the new £75 million-a-year kit deal with Adidas, which begins next August, that will bring a 30 per cent reduction, down to £52.5 million a year, if the club miss out on the Champions League for two straight seasons during the 10-year deal.
With the Glazers given a glimpse of the price of failure during a turbulent 2014, Van Gaal and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward have been cleared by the owners to pursue high-quality players to raise the level of a squad that deteriorated during Sir Alex Ferguson’s final seasons.
Van Gaal and Woodward share a desire for United to possess ‘elite’ players in every position and moves for Strootman or Godín could yet materialise next month.
Woodward’s priority ahead of the transfer window is to find buyers for the likes of goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard and midfielder Anderson, who have both been told they can leave. Attempts will be made to turn Tom Cleverley’s loan to Aston Villa into a £7 million move, despite the midfielder’s preference to run down his contract and leave Old Trafford as a free agent next summer. With United suffering a catalogue of defensive injury problems this season, strengthening their options at the back has become the primary focus of recruitment, however.
Having expected Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling to overcome their injury problems of recent seasons this term as a result of the reduced fixture workload, United have been disappointed to see all three again sidelined with injuries. Godin, whose fitness record at Atlético has been virtually flawless during his four years at the club, is viewed as a player who would bring reliability, experience and proven quality to United by Van Gaal, with Hummels also regarded as an upgrade on the current options.
Southampton right-back Clyne has also caught the eye of United’s scouts, with the recently-capped England defender seen as a potential replacement for Rafael da Silva, who has also been plagued by injuries.
Roma midfielder Strootman is understood to be determined to be reunited with Van Gaal having become a key figure in the Holland team prior to the cruciate ligament injury sustained in March which forced him to miss the World Cup.
The 24-year-old has now returned to action for Roma, however, and his progress will be closely monitored by Van Gaal. With only David de Gea and Michael Carrick in line for new contracts, the necessity to clear the decks will see several players leave next summer. Attempts will be made to find buyers for Nani and Javier Hernández, on loan at Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid respectively, while there is hope that Wilfried Zaha’s loan move to Crystal Palace will enable United to recoup some of the £12 million paid to take the winger from Selhurst Park two years ago. Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher and Rafael face uncertain futures.
Fringe players Nick Powell and Ángelo Henríquez, also out on loan, may also generate small transfer fees, but with United confident that Van Gaal will guide the team back into the Champions League this season, outgoings will be regarded as house-keeping measures rather than crucial to the funding of incoming transfers.
