Louis Van Gaal could spend over £100m on just three players, as he looks to secure some of the best British talent available.
Danny Ings, Gareth Bale and Nathaniel Clyne are all reportedly on the United manager’s shopping list, and could cost £3m, £86m and £20m respectively.
Ings is out of contract, and therefore the Red Devils would need only pay compensation to Burnely as the player is under 23. However, they can expect stern competition from their Merseyside rivals, Liverpool, who have been linked with Ings since he burst onto the Premier League scene, scoring nine goals for a struggling Burnley so far this season.
Gareth Bale would naturally account for most of the outlay, as Real Madrid, should they decide to sell at all, will be look to recoup the majority of their world record transfer fee – £86m. Bale has looked out of sorts lately, and only recently broke a nine match barren run with two goals. His recent hounding by Marca, the ‘Mouth of Real Madrid’, could persuade the Welshman to move to Old Trafford, if only for a quiet life.
Clyne has been on Manchester United’s radar for a long time, and his impressive performances this season have seen his stock rise further, with any transfer rumoured to be starting at £20m.
These three players alone have a potential value of £109m, suggesting it will be a long summer for those in charge of finances at Old Traffod.
Robert Middleton: @robmid4
