Manchester United: Five Midfielders Who Can Bring Success To Old Trafford

Manchester United are currently in midst of a funk, by their own lofty standards. A tie against Marseille, a beatdown of Wigan Athletic and losses to Liverpool and Chelsea have threatened to derail their quest for a 19th domestic championship,

The last time United lost two Premier League games in a row was in March 2009, when they lost to Fulham and Liverpool.

The difference between those two squads is simply creativity. The 2008-2009 United team boasted names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and a Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs that were two years younger. 

These players were able to pick up after the defeats and win eight out of their last nine league games to secure the title.

Currently, this squad lacks that cutting edge and the sense of invincibility that previous Manchester United sides have had.

The reported month long absence of Nani will be a tough loss. Furthermore, it will show the lack of creative spark going forward for the Red Devils. United have become over-reliant on Nani to produce pieces of brilliance and game changing moments.

In the wake of the absence of Nani, the return of Antonio Valencia will do some part in easing the loss. However, as talented as Valencia is, he will require time for him to gain confidence. 

Unfortunately, the season is quickly coming to a close, and with Nani out we simply do not have time for Valencia to rediscover his form. 

The brilliance Wayne Rooney showed against Manchester City appears to have been a one time occurrence. Dimitar Berbatov has begun to cool down, and the lack of trust Sir Alex Ferguson has been showing in Berbatov during the big games, is likely contributing to his lack of confidence.

Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes realistically have a total of an hour in the tank for matches.  When both are started, who is the impact player off the bench, where does our spark come from?  Unfortunately with carbon copy players Darren Gibson, Micheal Carrick and Darren Fletcher, there is no creative spark between them.

The prospect of a summer clear-out seems eminent, and hopefully the clear-out will mark the start of a new era and new approach for Manchester United. 

Recent reports have stated that United is planning a £100m spending spree this summer. If Manchester United does spend the necessary money, I believe the players on this list will be wearing the red of Manchester next season.

Here are five midfielders who could make an impact for Manchester United.

The addition of Gareth Bale seems like a rather obvious choice. Ryan Giggs is in the twilight of his career, and replacing Giggs with another Welshman would come as an ideal swap.

Tottenham reached the round of eight in their first ever Champions League appearance, largely due to the skills of Bale. His dazzling runs from the wing have tormented defenses all season long.

Tottenham currently sits only three points outside of a fourth place spot (the top four sides qualify for the following seasons Champions League). Competition for third and fourth place appears to be down to Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs.

If Tottenham finish outside of a top four spot, Bale might begin to feel that he has advanced his career as far as he can with Tottenham, and might be ready for the next step.

Valuations for Gareth Bale will largely come down to how Spurs compete in Europe, and how Bale performs in the Premier League.

£30-£40m might be all it takes for United to acquire the services of the their new Welsh wizard.

Rumors in January began circling that Arsenal had signed the young and talented Southampton winger. In a similar mold to Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has technical ability and searing pace to cause problems at the highest level.

It is reported that Sir Alex Ferguson placed a £10m bid for Chamberlain under the nose of Arsene Wenger in an effort to acquire the services of 17 year old Chamberlain.

Sir Alex then had a front row seat to watch Chamberlain when Manchester United battled the Saints in the FA Cup.

Regarding Chamberlain, Sir Alex stated: "Alex Chamberlain is only young but he has potential," the United manager said.  

Southampton have done very well bringing young players through over the years. He is another one, along with Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed his interest in the Southampton wide-man, but Gunner’s chairman Peter Hill-Wood stressed the club wouldn't enter into a bidding war over him with United.

In keeping with Sir Alex's trend of buying young players with big potential, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would surely fit the bill.

£10m-£15m should be enough to sign the 17 year old, and be too high of a fee for Arsenal to compete against.

Currently playing for EPL side Aston Villa, 25-year-old Ashley Young has been rumored to move away from Villa for quite some time now. 

Young is a player who is simply too good not be playing for a top European club. Out of contract in 2012, Villa are likely to make him available this summer.

An £18 million transfer fee would likely bring the English winger to Old Trafford, who was close to joining United in January.

Young is a top target of Sir Alex, as well as Liverpool. With Sir Alex unlikely to miss out on Young again, I expect a bid for Young in summer will take place. 

An advanced role at Old Trafford would further excel this pacy wingers career, far more than playing at Anfield.

The 23-year-old Slovakia star boasts 38 goals in 134 appearances for Napoli since his move from Brescia in 2007.

Renowned for his explosive ability, pace, dribbling skills and powerful right foot, Hamsik is a rare talent well suited to making it in the English Premier League.

Comfortable playing anywhere across midfield, Hamsik captained the Slovakian national team during World Cup 2010 and has amassed plenty of experience on the international stage, with 40 appearances and eight goals to his name.

The Napoli captain is a model professional, who performs his offensive and defensive duties with equal quality and dedication.

Marek Hamsik is viewed as a long term successor to Paul Scholes, especially because of the leadership qualities that Hamsik has. His quick feet and skill to play the perfect pass would allow United to play the free flowing attack football that fans have come to expect.

£25m-£35m would likely cover the cost of the Slovakian playmaker.

23-year-old Frenchman Jeremy Menez has enormous potential that is being realized more and more.

AS Roma spotted the promising talent and landed him in 2009 for a fee of £12m. He has appeared 80 times for the Giallorossi, scoring 10 goals and contributing five assists.

He has got fantastic dribbling skills, on par with the best in the game, along with the flair and knack for the extraordinary displays of skill and clutch goals that characterizes top players.

Menez mainly plays as a left winger, but is able to slot into any position across the midfield.

He is often criticized for lacking commitment, but he has definitely got the potential to make it at a big club like Manchester United. Under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, Menez could flourish into one of the most deadly players in the game.

It is believed that Sir Alex wanted to sign him at the age of 15, but Menez opted to remain at a lower club. Menez has improved week in and week out and has become one of the most entertaining players in the Serie A.

This could be the summer that Sir Alex re-enters the market for the gifted Frenchman.