Manchester United only need a bid of £16 million to sign the seriously talented midfielder Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund.
Gundogan, like many of his other Borussia Dortmund players, has been tipped to leave the Wesfalenttadion sooner rather than later, with Manchester United thought to be leading the chase for the smooth-passing midfielder.
Manchester United, who have also been heavily linked with Gundogan's teammates Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, are thought to be interested in signing a midfielder in the January transfer window, with Kevin Strootman being the obvious big target.
Gundogan has also been mentioned a few times, with the midfielder reportedly reluctant to sign a new deal with Borussia Dortmund. The Germany international's current contract expires in the summer of 2016.
A transfer for the midfielder only looks likelier with Gundogan reportedly telling Dortmund that he will not sign a new contract, leaving the former Bundesliga champions with little choice but to sanction a sale, according to the Daily Express.
That sale price has been fixed at £16 million, with Dortmund knowing quite well the importance of letting the player go when he still has at least a year on his contract.
Manchester United should have no problems in matching that £16 million fee, and the only aspect for Louis Van Gaal to ponder upon is if that bid needs to be made during the January transfer window or next summer.
If Van Gaal makes a move right in January, when most big teams have locked their team for the rest of the season and are not looking at too many changes, the competition will be considerably less. If the Manchester United manager waits until the summer, then that risk of another team or three coming in increases considerably.
Gundogan is a deep-lying playmaker who can control the midfield quite well and ensure that his team keeps ticking along, and even if they have a Michael Carrick in their lineup who can do that, Manchester United could certainly use the services of the 24-year-old.
Real Madrid had identified Gundogan as the perfect replacement for Xabi Alonso a while back, before that injury struck him dear, and the La Liga giants went ahead with a move for Toni Kroos.
With Strootman hinting at the fact that he would love to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona and Roma standing firm on not selling their midfielder, Van Gaal might see Gundogan as a really good option, cheaper and potentially even better.
Gundogan, when he is on song, is a joy to watch, dictating play from deep midfield, and with the team still struggling for rhythm at times, Gundogan is the kind of player that can bring a side right into tune.
