Gerard Pique Is Perfect and Realistic Fix for Manchester United

The January transfer window brings with it hefty rumors for each and every Premier League club, that much we can be certain of every single year.

Manchester United themselves have never been afraid to spend big money in this particular window; after all, it was only 12 months ago when David Moyes splashed out over £37 million to bring Juan Mata to the club from Chelsea.

There have been other high-profile moves in previous January transfer windows, too. And with United very much in a scrap to get into the top four once again this season, it would come as no surprise if Louis van Gaal strengthened further this month.

Defenders are likely to be at the top of his shopping list, especially given how crippling injuries and poor form have contributed to a shaky defence for the majority of the season.

And, per David Wright in the Daily Express, it seems United could be lining up a move for an international defender that may be slightly familiar to the Old Trafford faithful:

Manchester United are to step up their interest in Barcelona's Gerard Pique after failing to sign Fiorentina's Stefan Savic.

..according to reports in Spain, Van Gaal is preparing a £15m bid to bring Barca centre-half Pique back to Old Trafford after missing out on Savic.

The pair previously worked together at the Nou Camp during Van Gaal's two stints in charge of the La Liga giants from 1997-2000 and 2002-2003.

With United clearly in need of defensive class, any potential move for Pique (although merely rumors at this stage) should be welcomed with open arms by United fans.

For starters, the mooted £15 million fee is a relative snip, especially in the modern era of inflated transfer fees. Players are reportedly much harder to secure in January, thus seeing higher fees being banded around (with the £35 million Liverpool paid for Andy Carroll a fine example of that).

Pique is also still incredibly young in terms of a top-class defender; aged just 27, he could realistically perform at the top level for another seven or eight years yet.

And whilst Barcelona themselves haven't been as sparkling as they have been in recent years in 2014/15, Pique is still proving himself to be a vital cog in their system. Almost five clearances per game in La Liga (per WhoScored.com) and nearly two key tackles per game is incredible, and is the kind of defensive nous United are craving.

Someone of Pique's experience would immediately add a level of calmness and serenity to United's back line; in fact, he'll be the glue that holds them all together. Then there's the positive impact he could well have on Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair's careers, too.

The jury is still out on both youngsters, but they've done decent-enough jobs after being thrown in at the deep end by Van Gaal during stretches this season. With someone like Pique lining up alongside them, their development would surely spike upwards.

Perhaps the biggest stumbling block is whether Barca themselves would be willing to sell such a key player. Clearly they are going through a period of transition under Luis Enrique, and with a transfer embargo still imposed on the club, it's highly unlikely Barcelona would sell.

But if United could pull it off, it could be the transfer that switches Van Gaal's men from top-four wannabes into certified title contenders.