Man Utd Transfers: 10 Players Van Gaal Must Target In January

10. Raphael Varane

Manchester United really needed to bolster their defence this summer but largely failed to do so, with only Marcos Rojo coming in as a central defensive reinforcement. The January window should ergo be used to rectify this mistake and manager Louis van Gaal should definitely be targeting Raphael Varane. Varane is currently on the fringes with current club Real Madrid and is struggling to break his way into the side. he made just 14 appearances in La Liga last season and has yet to feature for Madrid this term. Pepe and Sergio Ramos are the first-choice central defensive pairing under boss Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu and a loan move for Varane might work. Real are unlikely to want to sell the Frenchman as, at 21, he is a bright prospect and has a big future. However, a loan move to United, where he could gain valuable first-team experience and also improve the Red Devil's defence, may well suit all parties. It isn't a long-term fix, of course, but his temporary acquisition may at least paper over the cracks until next summer, when van Gaal can target a longer-term option.