So it’s all finally coming together for Louis Van Gaal and his Manchester United side.
After a slow and stuttering start to his Old Trafford career, we’re beginning to see the fruits of his labour and can be pretty sure they’ll finish in the top four again after a 12 month exile.
But having spent over £150million on reinforcements last summer, there remains a few weaknessess within Van Gaal’s squad that need ironing out before we can really count United as title contenders, which is why he’s already got his eye on spending another pot load of cash this summer.
United have been linked with a whopping 31 players ahead of the summer transfer window, so we asked the Old Trafford faithful which ones they’d prefer to see playing for their beloved Red Devils next season.
A respectable 214 United fans took part in the poll, submitting 2,504 votes between them in the process. But who did they vote for and who didn’t get the vote of confidence that you’d perhaps expect to be high on the fans’ wishlist?
After closing the poll we were surprised to see who the top five players were, and even more so the players who didn’t make the grade.
So here are the five players Manchester United fans want signed this summer, as voted for by the fans…
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5. Gareth Bale
The Welsh wizard has been linked with a return to the Premier League ever since he signed for Real Madrid two seasons ago.
Last month, the Express, amongst many other media outlets, were reporting that Man United were serious about signing Gareth Bale in the summer, but such advances have since been quashed by the player himself.
Still, United fans seem to want Louis Van Gaal to bring the former Tottenham star to Old Trafford, no matter what he might cost.
72 fans voted in favour of a Bale transfer, while an unambitious 41 said they weren’t too keen.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
Any poll that includes Cristiano Ronaldo as an option is always going to have him voted high on the list, but it’s something of a surprise that the Real Madrid superstar isn’t the fans’ number one choice.
The Ballon d’Or winner has indeed been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu this summer after reports surfacing of a rift between him and manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Manchester United would obviously be the only place the Portuguese forward would end up if he were to return to the Premier League, given the time he had at Old Trafford before his then world record move to the Spanish giants back in 2009.
At the age of 30 Ronaldo isn’t getting any younger, but his recent performances for Real Madrid are all the proof you need that he can still perform at the highest level and can still be regarded as the best player on the planet.
How many United fans voted for him? Sixty five, while 35 would rather not see the Messiah return in the summer. Weird.
3. Nathaniel Clyne
A surprising inclusion, particularly when you consider more Man United fans want him this summer than Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
But it’s no secret that Man United are crying out for a decent right back, what with Rafael clearly not favoured by Louis Van Gaal and Paddy McNair lacking in experience.
So Nathaniel Clyne was always going to be linked with a move to Old Trafford after a solid season with Southampton that has seen him called up for England and even touted as Roy Hodgson’s first choice right-back.
A huge 88 Man United fans voted in favour of signing the Saints defender ahead of next season, while 21 would seemingly prefer other options.
2. Memphis Depay
When a player who impressed for Holland under Van Gaal at last summer’s World Cup is up for grabs, you just know the Dutch manager is going to explore every possibility of being reunited with him at club level.
And that is what’s happening with PSV wonderkid Memphis Depay at the moment. MirrorFootball are reporting that it’s going to be a straight out tug of war between United and Depay this summer, which they also reckon United will win hands down.
The 21-year-old winger is reportedly available for as little as £25million and, according to MirrorFootball, United have no problem with that fee and are prepared to meet it, leaving Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool losing out with their pathetic £20million valuation.
Still, while Louis Van Gaal definitely wants him, so do the United faithful. 122 fans voted for Depay to be signed this summer, with just nine voted against a £25million outlay on one of Europe’s most exciting and promising prospects.
1. Mats Hummels
First of all, we really hope this transfer happens, purely because we’re getting bored of speculating on the Germany international’s future.
The World Cup winner looks set to be on his way out of Borussia Dortmund this summer, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all joining United in the race for his signature.
But Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has hinted that Old Trafford looks the most likely destination for Hummels this summer, which pretty much makes it a done deal then. Doesn’t it?
With Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo being Van Gaal’s only ‘decent’ options in the centre of defence, it’s not rocket science to work out that the Dutch boss will have a world class centre-half at the top of his wishlist ahead of next season.
So who better than Hummels to strengthen what is arguably United’s weakest area?
That’s probably why 130 fans voted for Hummels as their ideal summer signing. Thought there’s eight fans out there who would rather someone else, but we’ll ignore them.
Make it happen, Louis. The fans are counting on you.
