United poised to make one further January transfer bid

According to ESPN, Manchester United are set to make an £8 million bid for Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama before the January transfer window closes this week.

Celtic are, however, likely to reject any January offer due to the player’s importance to them during their ongoing Champions League campaign, but it would be seen as a statement of United’s intent to jump to the front of the chasing pack for his signature.

The Kenyan’s performances have attracted interest from a number of clubs in the last few months and, with several preparing to open talks with the Scottish Premier League champions and the player, it is believed United feel they must act now.

United and central midfielders

United’s lack of midfield options has been a well-debated topic in recent years and has seen United linked with plenty of ‘midfield enforcers’ in recent years. Ferguson has resisted the calls to strengthen in midfield though, trusting old hands (Paul Scholes), backing players to return from injury (Fletcher, Anderson) and home-grown talent (Tom Cleverley) to partner Michael Carrick in central midefield, with Giggs, Rooney, Kagawa and Jones also playing an infrequent part in the middle.

In fact, if you were a betting person putting money on United’s next signing, you only have to look at United’s recent set of signings (Zaha, RVP, Buttner, Jones, Young, Hernandez, Henriquez, De Gea, Jones, Kagawa) to realise that at best, United will sign a winger or an attacking midfielder but no one to strengthen the middle of the park.

So could United really be about to sign a midfielder – even if it is for the summer (like the Zaha deal)? It’s a bit of a lottery and you feel that with Giggs and Scholes nearing retirement (although we say that every year), it’ll be a massive gamble NOT to sign an experienced centre mid, but this isn’t a free bet or a opening deposit from 888, you don’t get a second chance at United. Having seen RVP’s impact at the club (the significance of the #20 shirt is not lost on the player), one can only hope that whoever Ferguson signs next proves to be a similar hit.

The next United signing

Sir Alex Ferguson took a look at Wanyama during Celtic’s 4-0 win at home to Dundee United last week. Nevertheless, it appears the player may only be a fall-back midfield option for United in the event that they fail to land their main target, PSV Eindhoven’s Kevin Strootman.

The move for the highly-rated Dutch player is understood to be threatened, however, by United’s unhappiness with his agent – and that could mean they are prepared to look elsewhere.

Who do you think should be on top of Sir Alex’s list, Wanyama or Strootman? Or will he spring a surprise and bring in a more experienced player to push United forward in Europe?