Manchester United is going all-out in an attempt to regain the English Premier League trophy that was dramatically taken away from them by Manchester City.
After signing Japanese and Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa, Man U has their eyes set on acquiring more talent. According to the Daily Mirror, manager Sir Alex Ferguson is attempting to get Everton and England left-back Leighton Baines as well as Tottenham and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric on the Red Devils' roster.
United initially tried to acquire Belgium national Eden Hazard, but missed out to Chelsea. They quickly pounced on Kagawa, who is expected to add more firepower to the team's attack. The 23-year-old helped lead his club to a Bundesliga and German Cup double last season. He scored 13 goals in 31 league matches.
In other EPL news, Tottenham is expected to complete their transfer deal with Ajax for defender Jan Vertonghen. The teams are negotiating the transfer fee, with Ajax reportedly asking for 15 million euros. That price is too steep for Tottenham considering the 25-year-old center-back has only one more year on his contract before he can become a free agent.
Spurs' failure to qualify for the Champions League has not deterred Vertongjen's desire to join the squad. He will be a welcome addition to a Tottenham defense that struggled with injury last year. Michael Dawson played in just 13 matches, William Gallas struggled with a nagging calf injury and Ledley King could likely be forced to retire after his chronic knee problems surfaced again towards the end of the season.
Tottenham is also focused on keeping Modric away from another team. Modric has made it no secret that he would like the opportunity to transfer squads. Last year, Chelsea made a bid to acquire the midfielder, only to have it rejected by Tottenham, who claimed they would not sell Modric. Upset with the decision, Modric refused to play in the Spurs' opening match of the season. He eventually joined the team and finished the season with five goals and six assists.
