By Tom Finn
October 13, 2014
In what the Sunday Express is claiming to be an exclusive story Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal hopes to solve United’s defensive woes by signing Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar during the January transfer window.
The 29-year-old central defender played a key role in van Gaal’s Holland team that made it to the World Cup semi-finals, and with his contract running out next summer van Gaal believes Aston Villa will be willing to let him go this winter.
Villa manager Paul Lambert however is desperate to keep the team leader but know he could leave in the summer for nothing so a move to link him with his former Holland boss at United is something Vlaar would jump at.
Van Gaal would like to sign long term target Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels, but knows it is very unlikely to see a German star switch team’s mid-season, and with Vlaar available for around £4 million he gets a player that he knows can immediately fit in to his team.
