Five players that Manchester United should sign in January

Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in England and they constantly spend large sums of money in the transfer window on a yearly basis. This season, Louis van Gaal’s side are in the midst of a serious title challenge and sit just two points behind joint-leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Red Devils, who last won the Premier League title back in 2013, are a genuine option to win their 21st English crown but may consider bolstering their squad in the upcoming January transfer window.

Here are just five players that United could sign over the coming months.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Arguably the greatest forward in Europe right now, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a man in form. The Borussia Dortmund star is terrorising opposing defenders with his incredible pace, silky footwork and direct style of play. He has found the net 17 times in 13 appearances this season, scoring at least one in all but two of Dortmund’s matches this term.

United may have to pay over the odds to acquire the 26-year-old but he’s well worth the money. Imagine a front three of Memphis Depay, Anthony Martial and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? Frightening! His versatility will also appeal to United’s fans as he can be deployed anywhere across the frontline.

Alexandre Lacazette

After lighting up Ligue 1 last season, many United fans called for Van Gaal to move for Alexandre Lacazette this summer. While the Dutchman opted to focus on improving the midfield area, he ignored pleas to invest in another world class striker. Lacazette isn’t quite in that top bracket just yet, but he remains a top talent and would be a welcome addition to United’s struggling attack.

Wayne Rooney simply isn’t good enough to lead the line anymore and the sooner that Van Gaal realises this, the better. Lacazette hasn’t quite had the same impact for Lyon this season but he’s still managed to score three goals in his last nine games in all competitions.

Youri Tielemans

Labelled by many as the next Paul Pogba, Youri Tielemans is one of European football’s brightest young talents. At just 18 years old, Tielemans is punching above his weight in a talented Anderlecht side. While the youngster wouldn’t necessarily be required at Old Trafford right now, he’s certainly a player who could become world class in the future.

At the age of 16 years and 148 days old, Tielemans became the youngest Belgian to feature in a UEFA Champions League match. The likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also interested in the youngster and United will have to act quickly with a lucrative bid if they are to secure his services in the near future.

Mats Hummels

Although Chris Smalling is shaping up to be a world class defender, he doesn’t have that commanding presence alongside him in defence. Hummels is a top talent and has been labelled as the best defender on the planet. While this may possibly be a tad far-fetched, he’s a calm figure at the heart of Dortmund’s defence and played a pivotal role in Germany’s World Cup success last summer.

United supporters have been calling for Hummels for quite some time but a concrete offer has never materialised for the centre-back. At 26, the Germany international’s best years are yet to come and United should act now if they are to acquire Dortmund’s talisman. Hummels would only help Smalling to progress further as a player, and LVG would be wise to introduce a dominant presence alongside the growing centre-half.

Jamie Vardy

Laugh as you may, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy should be a genuine target for Manchester United in January. Not only should he be a target, he should be one of their top priorities. The Foxes striker is in superb form in front of goal, netting at least one in each of the last seven Premier League matches.

His resilience, strength and work ethic would appeal to the Old Trafford faithful and his traits are very much reminiscent to Carlos Tevez during his West Ham United days. United’s ardent supporters bought into the Argentinian’s unique, attacking style and they would certainly be more than willing to give Vardy a chance to prove his worth at the top level.