Manchester United warned off of signing Mats Hummels by Owen Hargreaves

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has warned officials at Old Trafford that they should not pursue the signing of Borussia Dortmund captain Mats Hummels.

Hummels is reportedly the number one transfer target of manager Louis van Gaal, but Hargreaves feels the German international is too slow and would prefer the club sign a defender more like former United center-back, Nemanja Vidic.

“He’s a super, super ball-playing centre-back,” Hargreaves told BT Sport. “But I don’t think he can defend, he’s too slow.”

“He’s Franz Beckenbauer, the new version. A superb passer, but I think that if I’m Manchester United, I want [Nemanja] Vidic. I want [Vincent] Kompany.”

“I think he’s a nice football player, he’s easy on the eye, but United need somebody physical, a presence.”

“He’s captain of Borussia Dortmund, they’re last in the Bundesliga. Is that the measuring stick for Manchester United? I’m not so sure.”

Borussia Dortmund are currently last place in Germany after a rash of injuries to key players and sub-par performances during the first half of the Bundesliga campaign. But for Hargreaves to credit BVB’s poor showing to the play of Hummels is a bit foolish.

While the former England international is qualified and entitled to make his assessment, his statement on BT Sport hints at sensationalism.

Hummels has been as been lauded for his leadership and loyalty while being a key component to Borussia Dortmund’s success during the previous six seasons. The 26-year-old was also an integral part of Germany’s World Cup winning campaign last summer in Brazil and is widely considered one of the best centre-backs in the sport.

Programming note: Borussia Dortmund vs. FC Augsburg will be shown LIVE on Wednesday starting at 12:00pm EST and can be seen on FuboTV.