Man Utd can sign Louis van Gaal transfer target for free nine years on as 'debt' now paid

Manchester United have an opportunity this summer to bolster their centre-back options without paying a single penny in transfer fees. Louis van Gaal plotted an ambitious signing nine years ago when he was in charge at Old Trafford, as the Dutchman tried to bring Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos to the Premier League.

United were looking to move on from the titanic partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Van Gaal wanted his team led by a similar giant at the back, with Ramos considering his future in Spain. However, he ultimately decided to stay in Madrid, penning a long-term contract and going on to win three successive Champions League titles.

Ramos previously admitted that his father Jose Maria is a “great fan” of United and he was “close” to joining Van Gaal in Manchester, but believes that he made the correct decision to stick with Los Blancos.

He eventually departed to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 but was back on the market last year, with United once again linked to the veteran defender, before he returned to Sevilla to pay back a “debt” to the club.

“This was a debt I had to my club, to Sevilla, the first team where I triumphed,” Ramos said at his unveiling. “This is also a personal debt towards my family, my parents, my grandparents. This is a very personal decision, a decision made with the heart.”

However, Sevilla released a statement on Monday confirming that Ramos would be leaving following the expiration of his contract. He spoke the following day to say that he leaves “with my head held high and my duty fulfilled” and confirmed that he would not be retiring from football.

United, who are seeking as many as two centre-back additions for the coming season while also mindful of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, can snap him up for nothing now Ramos’ debt has been paid.

Ramos would unlikely demand to play twice a week at the age of 38, but offers quality when on the pitch and is a huge dressing room leader away from the Old Trafford turf. He would join at a time when the United’s squad have had their mentality questioned following an eighth-placed league finish.

And nine years on from Van Gaal’s attempts, United could finally land Ramos for his compatriot Ten Hag, after the Spaniard admitted to coming very close to wearing the famous red shirt.

“I stayed where I should have stayed, Real Madrid,” Ramos recalled of his 2015 transfer saga. “But I was indeed close to playing for United It was not to be, but I do keep that admiration for the club, to the Premier League and the players, because the rhythm of play, the pace is different, and it’s a league we can all learn a great deal from, all of us. So that was not meant to be.”

Ramos can finally show that admiration for United on the pitch, with the Red Devils perhaps looking to replicate the success Chelsea enjoyed by signing veteran Thiago Silva in a similar fashion.