Manchester United may have the opportunity to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels in the summer.
The German World cup winner is yet to sign a new contract and may be persuaded to join the Old Trafford Club.
What makes this more likely is the possibility of Dortmund not playing Champions League football next season. After a disappointing campaign that has seen the club spend the majority of the season near the relegation zone, their form has picked up since the Winter break but it still unlikely they will make Europe.
They are currently tenth in the Bundesliga and find themselves thirteen points of a Champions League place.
For Hummels, the lure of Champions League may be hard to turn down and it represents a good time for United to make a bid.
The German defender would bring a hard work ethic to the Red Devils and may help them become title challengers again. It would also represent the kind of signing that the fans crave for, a world class centre-half that shows ambition and a drive to be successful.
However, it make take a sizeable bid to tempt Dortmund and the possibility of a £35m bid may be enough to take him to Old Trafford. What remains to be seen is whether United are serious about signing the defender.