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

7. Philippe Mexes

Another short-term option for Manchester United in January is Philippe Mexes. The veteran centre-back would bring some much-needed experience to United's backline and could be looking for a new club this winter having fallen down the pecking order at AC MIlan. There were tentative rumours linking the France international with a move to Old Trafford this summer, and a switch could still be on the cards. Mexes has slipped behind the likes of Adil Rami, Alex and Cristian Zapata at the San Siro, and should United make a move in a few months, they may find Milan willing to sell. At 32, Mexes is clearly not a long-term fix for the Red Devils, but he could act as a stop-gap before Louis van Gaal makes a big move for Mats Hummels in the summer. Hummels is unlikely to be available this winter and so a move for any of the players mentioned above might well prove to be a shrewd move. With prices often inflated and good deals notoriously hard to find in January, we might not see van Gaal sign a big name like he did in the summer, bringing in the likes of Luke Shaw, Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao.