Manchester United miss out on key Van Gaal target

Manchester United have missed out on Stefan de Vrij after the young defender opted to sign for Lazio.

De Vrij was reported to be a key target for Louis van Gaal, and was reported by Neil Custis in the Sun as such recently, which was then backed up by United fanzine Red Issue.

It's hard to believe that De Vrij would've chosen Lazio over Van Gaal's United, so we're assuming that United have for some reason decided to pursue other targets. The other names mentioned in that report were Mats Hummels, Daley Blind, Angel di Maria and Thomas Vermaelen. No Arturo Vidal.

It seems that Van Gaal is certain to make defensive signings, at any rate. £100m is the figure he's quoting as being needed to fully rejuvenate the squad, although Di Maria isn't looking particularly likely, with PSG reportedly willing to pay a silly amount of money for him.

So, another day in Unitedland. Fortunately, there'll be some more actual football along soon.