Although the 26-year-old German defender has in fact been part of a struggling Borussia Dortmund side so far season, Mats Hummels remains one of the best centre-backs in world football.

Dortmund’s no. 15 certainly proved his worth in Brazil this summer. His strong organisation and leadership qualities worked a treat for Joachim Löw as Germany saw their nation triumphantly lift the World Cup, but perhaps more surprisingly, the Gladbach-born defender even popped up with a few important goals against France and Portugal respectively.

With the January transfer window now in full swing, Dortmund’s poor form this season has led many to believe that Hummels could soon be on his way out of the Bundesliga. Manchester United, with their combination of a shaky defence and millions of pounds to spend, are reported to be heavily interested in landing the German, even if they have to wait until the summer to do so.

In light of such developments, will this World Cup star remain with Jurgen Klopp and BVB for the foreseeable future, or will Mats Hummels be making his potential debut at Old Trafford sooner rather than later?

[ad_pod id='ffc-video-small' align='left']

Without unduly dampening the hopes of Manchester United fans wanting to land the towering centre-back, the Dortmund favourite has seemingly poured cold water on any move linking him to Louis van Gaal’s side - for now. Despite the constant stream of reports that seem to suggest otherwise, the highly valued German has boldly claimed; ‘I am not tempted by a move to Manchester United.’

Since these statements were made prior to Borussia Dortmund’s quite frankly awful first half of the 2014/15 campaign however, perhaps Hummels’ situation in German football is not quite what it used to be. Obviously BVB remain a strong side who could still work wonders in the Champions League, but with their current lowly position in the Bundesliga, it seems they are slowly losing grip of automatic qualification for Europe’s most illustrious tournament.

While Manchester United remain nowhere near dead-certs to qualify for the Champions League either, the lure of the Premier League and playing at Old Trafford must still have an important influence on any potential signings. The Red Devils, with their far from convincing defence and lengthy injury list, could certainly do with some world class talent at the back right now. If Mats Hummels somehow manages to perform a u-turn on his previous statements, then this could be the best bit of business United have done in years.

The likes of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao of course bring that much anticipated ‘big name’ status to van Gaal’s side, but with someone of Hummels’ calibre on board, a whole new level of quality could be reached at Old Trafford. He has become known as the perfect defender for his jack-of-all-trades style at the back, and along with names such as Thiago Silva and Sergio Ramos, the German is up there with the very best.

Playing for Borussia Dortmund seems a different experience than it would be for most clubs however. Jurgen Klopp’s endearing personality makes the ties between the players and the manager all that more special. With Dortmund stars such as Hummels having nothing but praise for their boss in the past, it seems luring players away from the enigmatic German manager is a task easier said than done.

Nothing speaks louder than results though, so despite the World Cup star seemingly still enjoying his career with Klopp’s side, if Dortmund don’t improve dramatically and quickly on the pitch over the next few months, then a move away from the former Bundesliga front-runners would seem nothing but inevitable for players in the same league as Herr Hummels.

[ad_pod id='ricco' align='center']