Why Manchester United NEED to secure this cut-price January deal:

We’re slap bang in the middle of the January transfer window now which means one thing: Louis Van Gaal will finally have an opportunity to fix his leaky defense.

He started the season with a seriously under-cooked back four. The options he had just weren’t enough and the club’s injury crisis just exacerbated the situation.

I think it’s fair to say that The Red Devil’s defensive short-comings have been a key reason why the club has struggled for consistency this year. If Manchester United could build from the back, soak up pressure and win more in the air, they’d represent a whole different kettle of fish for opposition teams.

As it is, however, they’re rather limited. Let’s hope that things will have changed by the end of the month.

One defender that The Red Devils have been strongly linked to is Aston Villa star, Ron Vlaar. He’s out of contract at the end of the season, which should mean that he’s a candidate for a cut-price January move. Given his quality and experience, he looks like a good option for Manchester United.

Unfortunately, the player himself has noted that he’s not been contacted by any other clubs. Check out his comments:

‘There was interest [after the World Cup], but never from the calibre of clubs I would leave Aston Villa for. Manchester United? I’ve never heard anything from them. If a club had been seriously interested I would have noticed. That hasn’t been the case.’ (Source: The Express)

Just because something hasn’t happened, doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Signing Ron Vlaar strikes me as a no brainer. Louis Van Gaal knows the player well from his time as manager of the Dutch international team. He knows how good he is and how much quality he’d bring to Old Trafford.

All he needs to do now is to get in touch with Aston Villa and Paul Lambert. Let’s hope he’s willing to do exactly that. The Red Devils can’t afford to wait much longer.

What’s your take? Is Ron Vlaar the right man for the job at Old Trafford?

Please follow @ThePerfectPass for more football related action!

ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.