Manchester United need to bring in a Toni Kroos type midfielder and a Rio Ferdinand-esque defender this summer, claims club legend Ryan Giggs. The Red Devils are expected to be busy during the transfer window, with two deals already in place. Teenage full-back Diogo Dalot has signed from Porto, while a £52.5 million ($70m) fee has been agreed with Shakhtar Donetsk for Brazil international Fred. Those additions will help to bolster the ranks at Old Trafford, but Giggs is hoping to see more funds invested in proven performers who can address obvious deficiencies in Jose Mourinho’s squad. The former United winger told the South China Morning Post: “I think up front we’re fine. With the firepower we’ve got [Romelu] Lukaku scores goals, [Alexis] Sanchez, [Marcus] Rashford, Jesse [Lingard]. You’ve got a lot of options up front. “In midfield I’d like to see, we’ve been saying it for a long time, we thought [Paul] Pogba would be that attacking midfielder I would like to see. “They don’t grow on trees unfortunately, a [Luka] Modric, a Kroos type who can keep the ball. “And also I think a centre-half we need. “All the successful United teams over the years – [Gary] Pallister, [Steve] Bruce, Jaap Stam, Ferdinand, [Nemanja] Vidic – they’ve always had top class centre halves. “Again, they don’t grow on trees. Who do we get? I don’t know, but I think a midfielder and centre half are vital.” Giggs believes there will be plenty of activity at Old Trafford over the coming weeks, both in and out, but acknowledges that a number of the club’s Premier League rivals will also be making market moves - including reigning champions Manchester City. The current Wales boss added: “I think United, there will be a lot of players going. There will be a lot of players coming in. “Whereas City will probably just tweak, which is always a good thing if you’ve got a settled side and then you can bring in two big hitters who can just make that difference and take you up to the next level.”

Gareth Bale is “a Manchester United player” and would excite supporters at Old Trafford if Jose Mourinho launches a summer raid for the Real Madrid forward, says Ryan Giggs. Having been linked with a return to England for some time, the former Tottenham star has seen transfer talk resurface of the back of comments made after a Champions League final victory over Liverpool. Having netted twice off the bench in a 3-1 win over Liverpool, Bale revealed that he will be weighing up his options this summer as he seeks to find competitive football “week in, week out”. United would be prepared to offer him those opportunities and Giggs – who is now the 28-year-old’s boss with Wales – believes a big-money move could be beneficial to all concerned. The Red Devils legend told the South China Morning Post: “I’d be a happy United fan, that’s for sure. “I think he’s a Man United player. I think the fans would love him. The fans would adore him but again, like I say, he’s at a club where he’s won three Champions Leagues so why would you leave?” This is not the first time that Bale has sparked exit talk in Madrid and he has opted to stay put in previous windows. He also has a change of manager to think about at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, with Julen Lopetegui having inherited the Blancos reins from Zinedine Zidane. That could influence his decision, with it possible that he will once again delay a move elsewhere in favour of sticking to a contract in Spain due to run until 2022. “I think there’s been talk for the last three years of Gareth moving. I think he’s at the right club but of course he wants to play,” Giggs added. “Last season he was frustrated and I can understand that but with a new manager I’m sure that he’ll wait to see how he does and see if he’s part of the new manager’s plans.”

Former Juventus boss Fabio Capello claims the Serie A champions got “a fantastic deal” selling Paul Pogba to Manchester United for £89 million ($118m). After four years in Turin, the France international decided to return to Old Trafford for a second spell in the summer of 2016. The deal which took him back to England was the costliest in world football at the time, but the 25-year-old has struggled to justify that price tag amid constant criticism of his game and off-field activity. Capello believes Juve have been the biggest benefactors of the lucrative transfer, with the trophies having continued to roll in for the Bianconeri while Pogba has been found out for United and France. A man who spent six years with Juve as a player and two as a manager told Mediaset Premium: “The truth is that Pogba makes the difference in Italy, but not in England or on international duty. “That’s because with his physical strength, to us he seems impossible to control, but when he plays elsewhere, he becomes normal. “I’d say Juventus got themselves a fantastic deal by selling him at that price.” Pogba is currently in the process of trying to rediscover his spark while on international duty at World Cup 2018. He has made a positive start in Russia, but one former team-mate has been denied the opportunity to grace such a stage. Paulo Dybala starred for Juve in 2017-18, netting 26 times, but was overlooked by Argentina and Capello believes the 24-year-old is paying the price for a lack of consistency. The Italian added: “Dybala is still a long way off [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. “He has to improve his consistency and the way he participates in the overall moves. “He always waits for the ball to come to him, but that’s because he plays in a strong team that lets him do anything he wants. “Dybala could’ve given Argentina something different, especially from distance, and I would’ve used him against Iceland.”

Paul Pogba claims to be the “the most criticised player in the world”, with the Manchester United and France midfielder having once being the most expensive. An £89 million ($118m) deal returned the 25-year-old to Old Trafford in the summer of 2016 following a productive four-year stint at Juventus. With that transfer having taken spending to a new high, prior to Neymar making his record-breaking switch to Paris Saint-Germain, Pogba has seen his every move since scrutinised in minute detail. His performances have been questioned by United boss Jose Mourinho at times, along with players past and present and supporters of various clubs and international sides across the globe. Pogba feels he is being unfairly singled out, with is game generating more headlines and comment than any other player on the planet. He told Telefoot: “I am less entitled to make mistakes than others. “I went from the biggest transfer in the world to the most criticised player in the world.” Pogba has received support from a fellow flamboyant performer and former Red Devils team-mate in the wake of recent criticism, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic having been quick to leap to the Frenchman’s defence. The enigmatic Swede told beIN Sports: “Pogba is controversial, the media always talks about him and I think this is out of jealousy. “He has a big salary and always plays at the big matches and tournaments. He is the best midfielder in the world and because of that he has a lot of haters.” Pogba was able to quieten some of his detractors in his most recent outing, as he helped France to make a winning start to their World Cup 2018 campaign. He has been robbed of what proved to be the winning goal, with FIFA deciding on review that Australia defender Aziz Behich put through his own net, but his display has been hailed by Mourinho, Didier Deschamps and N’Golo Kante. There is, however, an acceptance from all of those representing Les Bleus in Russia that they will need to raise their game as a collective over the coming weeks if they are to challenge for the ultimate prize. Pogba added: “As the coach said, we have to do better.” Deschamps conceded after a narrow victory over Australia that he will be looking for more from a star-studded attacking unit when France face Peru on Thursday.