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Man United's defensive target shifts from Gerard Pique to Ezequiel Garay

There's a big Saturday of football ahead. Start if off right with a healthy breakfast of the latest batch of transfer-related rumours from around the world!

Garay of hope for Man United's defence

We're two months into the season and Louis van Gaal is still searching for answers in defence. With centre-backs Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling all less than impressive, the Dutch master has turned to Argentina's Ezequiel Garay to shore up Manchester United's back line.

Van Gaal despatched two scouts to watch Garay in Zenit's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, according to The Mirror.

Garay joined Zenit on a 12 million-pound move from Benfica this summer before Van Gaal was confirmed as Man United manager, and the manager believes he can woo the 28-year-old back east at the earliest opportunity.

Should Garay join United, Van Gaal could shift his Argentina compatriot Marcos Rojo to left-back while the new addition takes charge of the back four.

Pique a team, any team

Gerard Pique has also been on Man United's wish list for some time, and with Barcelona manager Luis Enrique rotating him in and out of the lineup this season some might believe he would be interested in a move back to Manchester, where he largely sat on the sideline from 2004-2008.

But as he just revealed to ESPN FC's Graham Hunter in an interview, Pique is not ready to change shirts, and he may never be.

"I left a lot of friends in Manchester and was happy there," Pique said. "However, I've always said that I want to retire at the Camp Nou and right now I've no thought of leaving."

Chelsea are not convinced. The Express reports that the Blues are set to place a bid for Pique with an eye to him one day replace the aging John Terry.

Such a move would reunite Pique with his close friend Cesc Fabregas, but it's hard to figure Chelsea would play their hand unless a move to Man United appeared imminent.

Just sign already, Victor

In what might be one of the worst-kept transfer secrets since Luis Suarez-to-Barcelona dragged on thanks to his suspension, goalkeeper Victor Valdes will train with Manchester United with an eye to a contract if he can physically perform over the coming weeks.

There is no timeline on when pen will be put to paper, but Mundo Deportivo reckons things will move sooner than later, as the free agent keeper is already "happy" in Manchester and has passed a medical.

The Daily Mail says a deal could be signed within two weeks after Valdes' reps met at United's Carrington headquarters while the 32-year-old player met with the physios.

Aquilani not feeling the love

Anyone in the market for a well-traveled 30-year-old central midfielder? Alberto Aquilani has said he's happy at Fiorentina, but he's uncertain what his future holds.

On the same day that the Viola locked up Man United target Juan Cuadrado, Aquilani told Sky Sports: "Things are pretty steady. There is no major news. Honestly at the moment I am not thinking about it much. The intention is to stay and the president knows that. There is dialogue between people who know what they want. We will have to wait."

If the club's in the habit of handing out long-term deals and Aquilani's not seeing one, perhaps he's starting to wonder if his love for Fiorentina is really mutual.