Football: Angel 'won't do' early miracles

Louis van Gaal. Photo / AP

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has warned that the club cannot expect an immediate "miracle" from the club's new British record signing Angel Di Maria, as he admitted he will have torn up the squad he inherited by the time the transfer window closes on Tuesday morning (NZT).

"You have to work for the miracle and he knows that," the Dutchman said of Di Maria, when the 59.7 million ($119m) Argentine was presented as United's new No7 at Old Trafford. "I hope he shall give us good results but we cannot expect after two days' training that he is the miracle that I am already reading about."

Van Gaal told his players the group could be radically different by Tuesday morning and Daley Blind is expected to join on an 18 million deal.

"I said, maybe after this weekend we shall have another group because players shall go away and others shall come in."

He also indicated a fear that United are being quoted inflated prices. The likely fabric of the side is changing rapidly, with Aston Villa and Hull City both keen to take midfielder Tom Cleverley, whose struggle to make any headway is the backdrop to United's pursuit of a defensive midfielder. Cleverley had resolved to stay until out of contract at the end of the season but may be tempted by a fresh start.

Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal is among United's top targets after impressing for Chile at the World Cup. Having helped his current team secure the Serie A title, Juventus aren't keen on losing him.

A loan deal taking Shinji Kagawa back to Borussia Dortmund is also now on the cards, while Valencia and Juventus are fighting it out for Javier Hernandez.

United may use the Italian side's interest in Hernandez to strike a deal for Vidal, although they will need to be sure Vidal's knee problem doesn't present a complication in the future.

The futures of Danny Welbeck, Anders Lindegaard and Anderson are also in doubt and Wilfried Zaha has returned to Crystal Palace on a season-long loan. The prospects of Welbeck staying would be greater if Hernandez leaves, as United would be left with just three top strikers.

Van Gaal hinted, 48 hours after United suffered an embarrassing Capital One Cup second-round hammering at MK Dons, that the job he has taken on is bigger than he thought. "But that is looking at the past."

- Independent