Ron Vlaar to Manchester United: Aston Villa put £12m price tag on captain to fend off Arsenal and United interest

Villa risk losing the centre-back for nothing at the end of the season though as his contract is due to expire in the summer

Ron Vlaar (Getty Images)

Manchester United and Arsenal have been told they will need to offer £12m to sign Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar in an effort to ease both of their defensive injury concerns.

Vlaar was instrumental in Villa’s unbeaten start to the season, and his absence through injury has coincided with three defeats in their last four matches. His contract is due to expire next summer, but his compatriot and former Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal is reported to be interested in bringing the centre-back to Old Trafford in January.

Arsenal are also looking to bring in a new defender in the January transfer window after Arsene Wenger confirmed on Thursday that he will look to “rectify” the failure to add another player in the summer.

The Gunners are going through a major injury crisis as the Achilles injury suffered by Laurent Koscielny has seen him join fellow defender Mathieu Debuchy on the sidelines, while 19-year-old Calum Chambers will miss the weekend visit of Hull through suspension. With the likes of Mesut Özil, Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey also out injured, Wenger will need to make moves in the transfer window once again if Arsenal are to have a say come the business end of the season.

One such move could be a bid for Vlaar, who he has been linked with the North London club in the past. The 29-year-old has also attracted attention from Premier League side Southampton, and manager Paul Lambert has accepted that he may be forced to sell the captain if the right offer is made.

The offer is believed to be £12m according to ESPN, but the fear for Villa is that they could lose him for nothing at the end of the season should he reject extending his contract.

Van Gaal worked with Vlaar during his time as manager of the Dutch national team, and he selected the former Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar player in all seven of the Netherlands’ World Cup matches last summer.

Vlaar has been with Villa since August 2012 after joining the club in a £3.2m from Feyenoord, and he took on the captain’s armband when Stiliyan Petrov was diagnosed with acute leukaemia and was forced to end his professional playing career to undergo treatment.

Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar (Getty Images)

He played in Villa’s opening three Premier League matches of the season in the wins over Stoke and Hull and the draw with Newcastle, but he has missed their last four games after suffering a repeat of the calf injury that has hampered him throughout his career.