Louis van Gaal has reportedly lined up three summer transfer targets before he has even officially been unveiled as Manchester United boss.
Confirmation that he will step into the role vacated by David Moyes once his World Cup commitments with Holland are over is expected to come later this week.
And, according to the Daily Mail, the 62-year-old has wasted no time in earmarking Bayern Munich’s Toni Kroos, as well as Borussia Dortmund pair Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, for potential moves to Old Trafford.
Reus, though, may be a non-starter after the 30-year-old told a German newspaper that he was happy at Dortmund where he is under contract until 2017.
These targets come on top of the players already lined up by United’s top brass, a list which includes Southampton’s Luke Shaw, Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho and Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani.
Time appears to be of the essence for United to get the Van Gaal deal done, as he is said to want things finalised before a pre-World Cup training camp convenes for Dutch-based players on May 10.
Another potential sticking point is the make-up of his backroom staff. When Moyes arrived at Old Trafford he brought many of his own men with him and Van Gaal is of the same thinking, meaning club stalwarts like Ryan Giggs, currently in temporary charge, may feel marginalised.
It is thought that Van Gaal wants to bring in his own five-strong team, including current Holland assistant manager Patrick Kluivert and goalkeeper coach Frank Hoek.
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