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Louis Van Gaal coy over Manchester United bid for Roma's Kevin Strootman
INCOMING Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal has channeled former Liverpool and Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez in responding to questions over a move for Roma's Kevin Strootman.
There has been speculation that Van Gaal would seek to add Strootman as one of his first priorities after working with the player as boss of the Netherlands.
Strootman - dubbed the Dutch Roy Keane - will miss the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery in March.
And while the player is thought to feel some degree of loyalty to Roma for sticking by him throughout his rehabilitation that is unlikely to prove an obstacle if United decide they want him.
For his part, though, Van Gaal has refused to reveal whether Strootman is on a list of targets he has given to United.
Louis van Gaal - The Facts
I gave my wishlist to the club. Is Kevin Strootman on it? A question for you, a fact for me.
He said: "Success at United doesn't depend on money, but about which players we bring in.
"I gave my wishlist to the club. Is Kevin Strootman on it? A question for you, a fact for me.
"It's not hard at all to make the switch from United to Oranje. For a manager it's totally different than for a player.
"A player needs to focus on one thing to be successful, while a coach is thinking about the whole process.
"Otherwise I couldn't do interviews like this any more and that's just ridiculous."
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