Bargain buys haven’t exactly been the transfer policy at Manchester United of late, but the squad is definitely in need of some additions as you begin on Football Manager 2016.

Louis van Gaal has built a squad with plenty of talent, but there are some fundamental issues that need to be addressed in the short term.

The Dutch veteran manager might have splashed the cash, but the wonderful world of football virtual reality means that you don’t always have to.

United are blessed with a significant budget from the start of your save, but the way that youngsters develop on the game means you can bring starlets in from all over the world at bargain prices.

Failing that, investment in a bigger name who can give you a decade of service is equally justifiable and might be deemed a bargain in years to come: see Luke Shaw.

Here are FIVE players who could be ideal for your save at Old Trafford...

Marc-Oliver Kempf

Marc-Oliver Kempf

This German centre-back will not be as cheap as some of you may have hoped, but a decade or so of service more than makes up for the price tag.

If you work the deal intelligently, you should be able to get the upfront payment below £15million.

With some ideal mental stats and marking of 15, Kempf can play anywhere from centre-back to central midfield and would be an ideal long-term partner for Chris Smalling or Phil Jones.

Timo Werner

Timo Werner

A Football Manager legend for several years now and Werner is as good a signing as ever.

His pace would be a welcome addition to the Manchester United frontline and the prospect of a partnership with Wilson and Martial a few seasons down the line is stuff dreams are made of.

A structured deal could see the initial budget hit as low as £10million, but be prepared to pay more if you don’t want to riddle yourself with potential risky clauses down the line.

Will Hughes

Will Hughes

Real life links to Liverpool probably don’t do the Derby youngster justice.

If nurtured correctly, Hughes can become a complete central midfield player and comfortably step into the boots of Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Training on marking would be a necessity, but all of this for a cost of only marginally over £10million is a comparative bargain for a club the size of Manchester United.

Gerson

Gerson

Gerson has an impending transfer to Roma when you start your save, but if you wait until the second summer the Brazilian playmaker should be available for around £7.5million.

The Fluminese man is natural in any attacking midfield position and represents no considerable weakness at the beginning of your game.

The scouts will tell you he could reach the level of Memphis Depay’s potential and its hard to turn down that sort of quality at this price.

Fran Villalba

Fran Villalba

Another transfer to make you feel old, Villalba was born in 1998.

This Spanish playmaker is only 17 and would probably be due a couple of loan spells before being ready for the first team.

However, if you can manage him correctly he will be an ideal replacement for Juan Mata as a central creative force.

With a flair rating of 17 already, Villalba could be a brilliant player to sign and sell on in a couple of seasons considering that he can be signed for just over £2million.