Louis van Gaal Believes Manchester United Need a Winger Like Cristiano Ronaldo or Angel di Maria

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal feels his unbalanced side are still missing a world class winger the level of Cristiano Ronaldo or Angel DI Maria.

Di Maria, 26, is determined to leave Real Madrid this summer following the arrivals of Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez and had been poised to join Paris Saint Germain in a deal worth a reported €75m.

However, the Argentine's future has been left in limbo after PSG pulled out of the proposed deal in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

United have reportedly been monitoring the situation from afar and van Gaal has named dropped the midfielder while discussing his current options ahead of their season opener against Swansea City on Saturday.

When asked of chief executive Ed Woodward's suggestion the club were willing to break their transfer record again this summer, the Dutchman was quoted by The Mirror saying: "It is a strategy of Manchester United to do that. At this moment, we have five no. nines and four no. 10s – and we don't have any wingers to give us attacking width.

"Or, I should say, we don't have wingers of the highest level, like Ronaldo or Di Maria or somebody like that. So, I have to play another way –and you have seen that already. I only buy when I think we need to buy –the position that is necessary."

United also remain heavily linked with Ajax's versatile midfielder Daley Blind. The 22-year-old flourished under van Gaal during Netherlands' World Cup but while the United manager admitted there was a certain appeal to signing players from his homeland, he stopped short of suggesting he was interested in bringing Blind to Old Trafford.

"If they are at the level I want them to be, then I will sign Dutch players. Nationality isn't something that concerns me," he continued.

"But Dutch players are usually cheaper than players of other nationalities and they have usually been very well educated in the Netherlands, I believe.

"But they have to be of a level than can play well in the English Premier League. You have to ask if that is the case with every player."