Manchester United are being linked with fit-again Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.
The Daily Express says United are keeping tabs on Germany star Gundogan as they weigh up alternatives to Roma's Kevin Strootman and Juventus' Arturo Vidal.
Van Gaal knows how difficult it will be to land either one of the midfield stars, and has been monitoring Gundogan after the 23-year-old returned to action for the reserves last week after a lengthy lay-off.
Dortmund have been struggling for form in the Bundeliga, losing four of their first seven matches, and Gundogan faces a challenge to win his place back in the starting line-up against the likes of Shinji Kagawa, Nuri Sahin and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
