Could this £30m man be Manchester United’s key summer signing?

Whoever takes charge at Manchester United this summer has a big challenge ahead of them. Not only will they be taking the reigns of a club that’s just staggered through their worst season in many, many years, they’ll also need to contend with a defensive exodus.

Nemanja Vidic has already confirmed that he’s leaving. Rio Ferdinand could follow him through Old Trafford’s exit door. Who knows whether Patrice Evra will stay. Will Rafael also fancy a move away?

If two-or-three defenders leave at the same time, Manchester United will be put in a very difficult position indeed. Consistency is what breeds defensive quality, but it looks like The Red Devils are set for a lot of chopping and changing next season.

They’ll certainly need to bring in a couple of quality options in the summer transfer market. This brings me to The Mirror‘s claim that Borussia Dortmund’s well-regarded centre-back, Mats Hummels is one of Manchester United’s key targets. The giant German (he’s 6 foot 4 inches tall) won’t come cheap. The aforementioned source claims he might cost as much as £30m.

That’s a huge amount of money for a defender, but it probably represents fair market value. The German has made 221 appearances for Borussia Dortmund and has established himself as maybe the most important member of their defense.

He’s great in the air, not easily out-muscled and he’s got a superb reading of the game. He also has a sweeper-like quality to his game, which has seem him compared to the likes of Franz Beckenbauer. He also reminds me a little of Rio Ferdinand in his capacity to distribute the ball so neatly from the back. It’s little wonder that he has already earned 28 caps for the German international side.

He’s been at Dortmund since 2008, so I can’t help but wonder if he’s ready for a change in scenery. At 25-years-old, he’s about to hit his footballing peak, so the time might be right for him to move to a bigger club. Here’s hoping that Manchester United are capable of pulling this deal off. Hummels could be just the player they need.

What’s your take? Should The Red Devils move in for Mats Hummels?

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