Man Utd Transfers: 10 Signings Louis Van Gaal Should Have Made

5. Claudio Marchisio

Another fantastic central midfield addition this summer would have been Claudio Marchisio. Given Manchester United's problems in the box-to-box role with the aforementioned failings of Marouane Fellaini, Marchisio would have been a terrific alternative (or even replacement) for the beleaguered Belgian international. Currently of Juventus, Marchisio has been impressive over the last couple of seasons and made Italy's 23-man World Cup squad, scoring in his country's 2-1 win over England in the group stages. A player renowned for his combative style of play, the 28-year-old would have added steel to United's midfield. United remain notoriously weak in central midfield following the closure of the transfer window and van Gaal really ought to have made serious enquiries into Marchisio's availability. A hard-tackling, versatile midfielder, the 28-year-old can play in a number of positions, including central midfield, defensive midfield and even as a deep-lying playmaker. His precise passing abilities have earned him comparisons to legends such as Andrea Pirlo and Paul Scholes, and United needed a player of his quality in their engine room this summer. Marchisio is one of many names who could have helped in this department and really would have added grit to their midfield.