Manchester United prepare £100m overhaul as Louis van Gaal looks at defensive options

United are planning yet another overhaul in the upcoming summer transfer window with a £100 bid for Mats Hummels, Aymeric Laporte, Diego Godin and Nathaniel Clyne to bolster their chances of securing the league title, according to the Independent.

Many of these transfers are likely to depend on United's ability to finish in the top four and secure a Champions League spot, failure to do which would not only have a severe effect on their revenue streams but also dissuade players from making their way into Old Trafford.

The Red Devils spent more than £150m last summer bringing in players of the stature of Angel di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw and others, but the crop have only just started to make an impact, propelling United to a top four spot.

The quadrant of players being scouted are all defenders, an area of the pitch where they have struggled to cope this season, mostly owing to the plethora of injuries they have had.

Louis van Gaal is looking to bring in a proper replacement for Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, whose towering presence in the middle of United's defence had a calming effect during Sir Alex Ferguson's reign.

Hummels is a long term target, with Van Gaal having managed him at Bayern Munich before selling the German to Borussia Dortmund, where under Jurgen Klopp he has developed into one of the leading defenders in the world.

Laporte and Godin are also a major influence at the back and with Clyne slotting in at right-back, the United setup will have a balance, which has been missing this season.

The Red Devils are currently fourth in the league and will travel to Southampton on Monday as they look to extend their winning run to four, their best in the league this season. Their fortuitous win over Arsenal at the Emirates stadium initiated the rise, which was followed by convincing wins over Stoke and Hull City.