Louis Van Gaal will sign four high-profile players to build a Manchester United spine capable of challenging for the Premier League title next season.
Manchester United spent tonnes of money last season on new recruits and this summer transfer window is not expected to be any different, as the club continue to be linked with one big name after another.
The Daily Mirror report, Manchester United will buy a goalkeeper, a centre-back, a central midfielder and a striker in order to put themselves in a position to compete for the Premier League title next season with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.
The goalkeeping department will, of course, only be taken into consideration if David De Gea leaves. But, because the Spain international goalkeeper's departure looks likely – to Real Madrid – Van Gaal has a couple of names in mind to replace the outstanding goalkeeper, and that is despite having Victor Valdes already in the squad.
Hugo Lloris is a name that is likely to come into the Manchester United picture more and more if De Gea leaves, but, according to the Mirror, the most likely candidate to join is Jasper Cillessen from Ajax.
Van Gaal made Cillessen his No.1 goalkeeper for the Netherlands, showing just how highly he rates the 26-year-old. Cillessen, aware of the interest from Manchester United, a couple of days ago, mentioned it would be difficult to prise him away, with Ajax expected to bat away all interest.
"If I had planned to leave, I would not have signed a new contract until 2018," Cillessen told the Mirror. "My old contract was expiring in the summer of 2016 and in that case this summer would have been the perfect moment to leave.
"[Ajax manager] Frank de Boer has been very clear when he received questions about my transfer -- he wants to block it."
Ajax will reportedly ask for a minimum £25million for Cillessen, but Manchester United are hopeful of doing a deal for £20million.
In the centre-half position, the obvious candidates were Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund and Nicolas Otamendi of Valencia, but Sergio Ramos has now emerged as the prime candidate. Ramos has reportedly asked to leave Real Madrid this summer, and Manchester United want the centre-back as part of the deal that will send De Gea to the Bernabeu.
Another priority position to fill for United is the central midfield position, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, another player who knows a thing or two about playing for Van Gaal, is the player most likely to sign.
Schweinsteiger has not been able to come to terms on a new contract with Bayern Munich, and with just a year remaining on his current deal, Manchester United are ready to take advantage.
Finally, in the striking department, the main targets are Karim Benzema of Real Madrid and Spurs hitman Harry Kane.
Both moves will be quite difficult to complete, with Benzema likely to move only if Real sign a big-name striker like a Sergio Aguero, while Tottenham will ask for an astronomical figure for Kane, who has said he is quite happy at White Hart Lane.
