Manchester United: Which full-backs should van Gaal target in January?
Ashley Cole
Free Agent
A UEFA Champions League and Premier League winner, Ashley Cole is as proven as they come. Formerly of Arsenal, Chelsea and Roma, Cole is regarded by most as England’s greatest ever left-back and is still keen to showcase his talents.
Cole left Roma by mutual consent in the summer after just one season where he fell out of favour under manager Rudi Garcia and is still without a club. However during the charity game at Old Trafford for UNICEF hosted by David Beckham, Cole showed he is still very fit and willing as he looked a level above everyone else on the pitch.
Quick, powerful and excellent at both ends of the pitch, Cole’s acquisition could be a stroke of genius from Louis van Gaal as it would allow him to move Daley Blind central on a more regular basis while also having one of the game’s modern day greats to help a young Luke Shaw upon his return to injury.