United to launch January bid for centre-back

Manchester United will make a last-minute attempt to sign Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels or Athletic Bilbao Aymeric Laporte this month.

With the transfer window closing on Monday, United are running out of time to bolster their defensive options and while they’ve not seemed in a rush to get their hands on a new signing, reports suggest things might be about on change over the next four days, according to reports from ESPN.

While only Chelsea and Southampton have conceded less goals than United in the Premier League this season, the Reds have never looked solid at the back and Louis Van Gaal’s squad needs a world class centre-back.

The club has made clear it will pursue only “top priority targets” this month and will otherwise wait until the summer if said players can’t be signed in January, but ESPN suggests United might make one last push for either Hummels or Laporte.

Hummels is the club captain and has repeatedly stated he has no intention to leave the Westfalenstadion, claiming that a chance to play Champions League football – which at the moment remains far from guaranteed for United – will not influence his decision.

However, with Dortmund enduring a torrid season – Jurgen Klopp’s men are second from bottom and two points away from safety – the German international could leave at the end of the season or even before the January transfer window closes. Citing “club sources”, the reports add that while Dortmund would rather part ways with the 26-year-old in the summer rather than this month, United did not receive a “a flat-out rejection” when they put in an informal bid for the defender in November.

United update: they *will* make big push for one of Hummels/Laporte before window closes – but summer still likelier http://t.co/KWQSdgqzko

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) January 29, 2015

Meanwhile, according to the Daily Mail, Dortmund have made contact with Dinamo Kiev for Aleksandar Dragovic, who was also scouted by United, which Dortmund consider to be Hummel’s replacement.

ESPN adds that Laporte is keen to join United, though they’re reluctant to meet the 20-year-old’s buyout clause, as they did with Javi Martinez in 2012 and Ander Herrera in 2013. However, an approach in January could pave the way for further negotiations in the summer.