Ron Vlaar is under consideration by Louis van Gaal as the Manchester United manager seeks to strengthen his defensive options, though there is yet to be any contact with Aston Villa regarding the player.

Vlaar’s experience and pedigree has made him a potential target for Van Gaal, with the 29-year-old Dutchman in a third Premier League campaign at Villa while being a seasoned Holland international who impressed during the 2014 World Cup.

Vlaar was managed in Brazil by Van Gaal and, with the Villa captain out of contract in the summer, he would represent a comparatively cheap transfer if the manager did decide to move for him in the January window, which opens on Saturday.

While making any signing in January inevitably forces the price of a player up, Villa will be conscious that Vlaar could leave for nothing in the close season, as he is understood to be reluctant to agree fresh terms.

Van Gaal’s inaugural campaign at United has been plagued by injuries, particularly in defence where Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans, Phil Jones, and Marcos Rojo, the manager’s four frontline centre-backs, have all been ruled out at various times. This has exasperated Van Gaal, who is continuing to try and address the issue.

It also now unlikely that the 63-year-old will take his squad away this month for a warm-weather break unlike Manchester City, who are to fly to Abu Dhabi on 18 or 19 January to play Hamburg on 21 January in a friendly.

If Van Gaal was to decide on a break it is likely he would only do so if United had been knocked out of the FA Cup and had a free weekend when returning, the scenario in which the club travelled to Dubai in February last season under his predecessor David Moyes.