Personally, if I were to hand-pick a replacement for Rio Ferdinand right now, I would choose Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels. The Germany international has long been a target for the club, and has recently emerged as one of incoming manager Louis van Gaal's first summer targets. Ironically, van Gaal SOLD Hummels to Dortmund during his spell as Bayern Munich manager, and has always regretted that decision having watched the 25-year-old go on to star for the Black and Yellows. A right-footed left-sided centre-back, Hummels contributes to the attacks of his team, and his penchant to go forward would fit into van Gaal's philosophy of free-flowing, attractive football. He's also defensively sound, and is renowned for his precision-perfect interceptions, strength and height, and fits into a similar mould as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Having seen some of their best players leave however, such as Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski, Dortmund would likely be reticent to sell - meaning we'd have to make an offer they can't refuse. Man Utd fans: Who do you think will replace Rio Ferdinand this summer? Let us know in the comment section below.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
