Too little, too late on roster tweaks

With less than 24 hours until the transfer window slams shut, Manchester United is once again playing the unwanted role of the panicked Christmas shopper who realizes he has left it too late to buy the presents he wanted.

Despite splashing out $230 million on new signings during his first season in charge and then spending millions more on Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Matteo Darmian in recent months, United manager Louis van Gaal is still unhappy with the make-up of his squad.

Frustrated at missing out on several of his top targets, van Gaal has been left with an unbalanced group heavy on midfielders but short on quality support for star striker Wayne Rooney, lacking a world-class central defender and missing a top goalkeeper to replace Real Madrid-bound David de Gea.