Panel: Who should Man Utd be looking to sign in January?

The January transfer window is officially open and the usual speculation and rumour has already started.

Manchester United have been linked with a host of names - but who should they be focusing their efforts on.

The MEN's football writers have picked the one player they think United should be aiming to sign this month. Feel free to use the comments section below to agree, disagree and add your own.

Stuart Mathieson

United have not conceded more than a goal in a game since West Brom scored twice at the Hawthorns 14 matches ago but there is still a sense the defence is an accident waiting to happen.

The ghosts of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand still hover over the rearguard. Who better to inject organisation and experience into Van Gaal's defence than a 2014 German World Cup winner.

Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels ticks the boxes. At 26 he is the right age and has the right experience to provide a more solid foundation at Old Trafford.

Rob Dawson

Despite spending more than £150m in the summer, Van Gaal is still short at the back and in midfield. Kevin Strootman and Mats Hummels are long-term targets, but it's debatable whether they would be allowed to leave their clubs in January. There is still also doubt about how well Strootman has recovered from his knee injury.

Sami Khedira has struggled with injuries this season, but Real Madrid haven't seemed to miss him. At 27-years-old, the German midfielder is at his peak and would harden up United's soft centre.

He wouldn't come cheap because Carlo Ancelotti appears to be a big fan of his. But it might be worth a phone call from Ed Woodward just to check.

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Samuel Luckhurst

United need to sign an additional four players to become genuine title contenders again but the priority this month has to be a centre-back.

Mats Hummels might begin as tentatively as Nemanja Vidic did back in 2005, yet he is one of a handful of world-class central defenders and would be worth the reported £47m.

Hummels' reading of the game is reminiscent of Rio Ferdinand at his peak, which compensates for his lack of pace.

The German boasts silk and steel in abundance and is a reliable distributor from defence, which would alleviate the pressure on the over-burdened Michael Carrick.