Manchester United and FC Barcelona Square Off for Mats Hummels Transfer

A host of clubs have been vying for the signature of imposing German defender Mats Hummels, however Manchester Utd. and Barcelona appear to be most likely destinations.



Following his success with the national team at the World Cup in Brazil, Mats Hummels emerged as the new number one target for many European top clubs. Online bookmaker Ladbrokes believes that the 26 year-old German has several options on the table, but Spain and England seem to be the most prized destinations.



Since becoming a regular player under his current club manager Jurgen Klopp, Hummels has performed remarkably. He has managed to win praise from many prominent managers in football, considering his natural talent and hard work ethic. Therefore, it no surprise that any major club in Europe would want him among their ranks.

Manchester United

• Manchester Utd. and Barcelona serious contender for Hummels


• German World Cup winner will command a steep price


• Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City are among unlikely destinations

Both the Premier League club and the Spanish side are currently undergoing a rebuilding process with their respective teams. They both lost out on their national league titles last season, which inevitably lead to an overhaul of the squad for the summer.



Manchester already recruited Ander Herrera (midfielder) and Luke Shaw (left back) in efforts to build a team that has the capacity to win major trophies in the seasons to come. However, considering that they no longer command a formidable defense, gambling news reports that Hummels has become their top priority in that position.



United’s previous defensive pairing (Ferdinand and Vidic) proved a winning combination for a number of years, however both players decided their time was over at the club. Rio Ferdinand, who was once the world’s most expensive defender, recently signed for Queens Park Rangers. While shot-blocking maestro Nemanja Vidic opted to leave for Inter Milan.



Louis van Gaal is the new man in charge of the Red Devil’s, and many believe that he has identified Hummels as a top class player to complement the new look of Manchester United. Ladbrokes has given The Reds odds of 7/2 for successfully signing the German World Cup winner, however they may have to shell out a significant penny for his services.

Barcelona

Barcelona is also trying to reshape the team that has enjoyed massive success since the last time they underwent a major remodeling phase in 2008. The Catalan side have appointed former player Luis Enrique to lead to glory once again. They have already bought Ivan Rakitic, Claudio Bravo, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Luis Suarez.



For a number of years now Barcelona has been struggling in the back line, despite having Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano in their defense. On many important occasions these players were known to put on a lackluster performance, which sometimes cost the team gravely.



The management of the club tried to look for temporary solutions to the problem by buying mediocre talent, but were never successful in patching up the defense for certain. Hummels has been on Barcelona’s radar for several years, and although every summer they have been linked with the player, the fans never saw anything come to fruition.



The commanding defender would be more than a welcome addition to a squad that boasts the likes of Messi, Iniesta, Neymar and Alves. Perhaps the biggest problem with getting Hummels would be the transfer fee.



Barcelona’s latest acquisition of Luis Suarez has demanded around EUR 94 million from their transfer budget, leaving little funds for additional expensive reinforcements. The German’s value is somewhere in the vicinity of EUR 35 million according to his club Dortmund, making him a prohibitive target for now.



Mobile betting firm Ladbrokes has assigned Barcelona chances of 8/1 for signing the world’s most coveted defender at the moment.

Other interested parties

More than one Premier League has expressed interest in signing the star player, however their chances of actually pulling off a transfer are slim. Chelsea have recently sold David Luiz to PSG for GBP 50 million, a world record for a defender. So they have plenty of money to splash out on a player to replace him, while Ladbrokes gives Chelsea odds of 14/1.



In recent times, Arsenal have been buying up all the German talent on the market. Should Hummels somehow become a Gunner, then he would join his fellow countrymen Lukas Podolski, Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil. Arsenal have been dealt the same odds as fellow Londoners Chelsea (14/1) of securing Hummels’ signature.



The real outsider in the running for the World Cup winner is Manchester City, according to online sportsbook in the UK. Their current odds stand at 16/1 as there were no serious hints that they were in the market for him. Rather, they have focused on getting Mangala from Porto.