Atletico Madrid preparing to offer €32m double assault on Manchester United

Louis Van Gaal is finally getting down to business as he looks to revamp the squad he has inherited from former Manchester United manger David Moyes. Certain players are set to leave the club, and now English newspaper Guardian have reported that Atletico Madrid are looking to take advantage of United’s situation by offering €32m for the pair of Shinji Kagawa and out of favour striker Javier Hernandez.

The Mexican has certainly fallen the pecking order with Rooney, Van Persie and Danny Welbeck being favoured ahead of the 26 year old who had a dry World Cup campaign with his country in Brazil. Van Gaal’s preferred 3-5-2 formation will mean he has no starting spot as Rooney and Van Persie are expected to lead the line. There was significant interest for Hernandez from Inter Milan while Juventus too enquired about the player on a loan deal with an option to buy. United are believed to have put an €11m price tag on the Mexican, as reported by Italian media outlet Tuttosport, one of the most respectable sources in Italy.

Kagawa wants to play in the number ten role but it can be surely expected that Juan Mata will don the role for the Red Devils. The Japanese’s future thus looks extremely bleak and should his former club Borussia Dortmund not stake deal to take his back, expect the player to leave Manchester by the time the summer window slams shut.  

It is sad to see that united hasn’t been able to use the player to the best of his quality but as the situation currently suggests Van Gaal is looking to cut short his out of favour players. The Dutch legend won the Guinness International Champions Cup beating Liverpool in the final in the USA in their build up to the brand new 2014-15 season. Van Gaal had earlier said, “I will make my judgments after the tour. I let all the players play and I know now more than before the tour. Now also it is a little bit soon to judge but in football you have to judge. You have to give a chance to the player to make a transfer when I see that his prospects to play are not so high. You have to say it in advance because it’s too late after 31 August. I will tell players after the tour but to them not to you [reporters].” 

Chelsea offered Manchester United target for World Cup winner

According to reports in Madrid based daily MARCA, Chelsea’s Andre Schurrle could be headed to Atletico Madrid with Brazilian defender Miranda heading the other way to Stamford Bridge. The Rojiblancos have well and fully understood the price of success with their major players Diego Costa, Filipe Luis and Thibaut Courtois all joining Chelsea in what would be rightly called a mass exodus.

Manager Diego Simeone however has acted quickly in the transfer market to acquire French sensation  Antoine Griezmann from Real Sociedad and is now on the prowl to sign German midfielder Schurrle whose assist for Mario Gotze at the Maracana against Argentina won the World Cup for the Die Mannschaft.  Schurrle has primarily been a bit part-player for Jose Mourinho, with his majority of appearances coming from the bench.

The 23 year old former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder has hit the back of the net 8 times and grabbed a couple of assists in 30 outings for the Blues from London. However it is believed that his enormous work rate that has convinced Simeone to land him at the Vicente Calderon by offering Manchester United target Miranda to Chelsea.

Both Chelsea and Manchester United’s need for a central defender are well documented and MARCA reported a couple of days ago that Mourinho is insistent to sign Miranda and is set to offer €25m for the player.  The Brazilian has the same super agent as Costa and Luis, i.e Jorge Mendes and Mourinho is confident that a deal can be agreed upon. Chelsea were earlier interested in Raphael Varane after their pursuit of Roma’s Mehdi Benatia had hit a roadblock but it is believed that Real Madrid have no intentions in selling the young Frenchman with Pepe entering his early thirties.

Miranda however has a €30m release clause and should both Chelsea and Atletico agree on a deal, the English giants will have to pay some significant cash worth around €10m and also allowing Schurrle to witch loyalties for the La Liga winners. Finally after breaking the Real Madrid and Barcelona hegemony in Spain last season can the Rojiblancos defy the odds and defend their title successfully?