Manchester United are currently undergoing a rebuild, and the upcoming summer transfer window will play a key role. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Red Devils have made several successful moves, including the signing of star players Bruno Fernandes and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and they will hope to recreate this success in the summer, with many potential deals being lined up.
The Players That Manchester United Could Buy in the Summer
Previous Success Under Solskjaer
Despite United’s managers in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era largely proving unsuccessful, Solskjaer’s moves have all impressed.
Daniel James was arguably the best signing of the summer. They bought him in early June for £15 million, and his performances for the reds have made him a bargain. The Welshman is their top assist maker, with six in the league to his name so far, and has also scored three goals this season. He is a regular starter, impresses with his pace and skill, and looks set to become a star of the future.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has also turned into one of United’s star players this season. The former Crystal Palace full-back joined the Red Devils for £50 million in June 2019 and has emerged as one of the best right-backs in the league. Although he came with a hefty price tag, the 22-year-old has been fantastic this season, with his signature slide tackle saving them on many occasions.
Harry Maguire joined from Leicester shortly after Wan-Bissaka, which completed a satisfying summer window for United.
In January, despite many struggles, United secured the signature of Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes, who has already impressed for the club with his creativity and skill on the ball.
Odion Ighalo’s loan move from China was the most recent completed deal, rounding up United’s successful transfers under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer so far.
Who are the Players That Manchester United Need?
Having made many necessary replacements already, Manchester United’s rebuild will continue in the summer. While there are several players not up to title-challenging standard, some positions need more immediate attention than others.
The Right-Wing Conundrum
Potentially the biggest problem-causer currently at United is the right-wing position. It is essential to bring in a player of that position in the summer if the Red Devils want to challenge for domestic and European silverware next season.
Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira are United’s two players most naturally suited to the right side of attack, but they have drastically underperformed recently and are rumored to be on their way out in the summer. Other than these, Manchester United do not have any natural right-wingers.
This season, Daniel James has regularly appeared there. Despite this, the Welshman is more suited to the left. Although he is able to play on both sides, his preference for the left side of the field makes him an imperfect candidate for the position.
Mason Greenwood has also tried his hand on the right-wing. He is, however, much more suited to a central striker role, with his impeccable finishing and eye for goal, therefore taking him out of the running. The lack of a natural right-winger, then, begs the question of who could potentially fill the spot next season.
Jadon Sancho
Sancho is top of their wishlist, however, as one of the most in-demand talents in Europe, the young Englishman will be hard to get. United have had links with Sancho for some time, and seem to currently be leading the race for his signature, but it is anyone’s guess as to where he could end up next season.
United, still, stand a good chance of signing the promising winger. His pace, passing and finishing ability would be a huge asset to the club, who greatly utilise all three of these in their preferred counter-attacking style of play, especially for someone so young and with so much potential for growth.
Federico Chiesa
Another right-winger to be linked with a move to Manchester is Chiesa. The Italian has impressed for Fiorentina recently, sparking interest from clubs like United. He is not as sought after as Sancho but still looks to be a promising talent, especially with his ability to perform so well in a strong league, at such a young age.
In Need of Midfielders
Despite their recent acquisition of Fernandes, there is still room for improvement in the Manchester United midfield.
Jack Grealish
Grealish is a name that has been prominent in many United rumors of late. The English attacking midfielder can provide quality for the Red Devils, and also versatility with the ability to play on both wings and drop deeper if need be. The Aston Villa player’s arrival at United could result in Fernandes dropping deeper, but still have an influence on United’s attacking play. Grealish himself could also be the one to drop deeper. Either way, he could provide United with many desirable traits.
Declan Rice
A player not talked about particularly often anymore, Rice’s name was on everybody’s lips at the beginning of the season. Despite the slowing of interest, he is still a promising player and one who we may see in a Manchester United shirt next season. One of the problems United may face when trying to sign the English youngster, however, would be an inflated valuation due to his nationality. It is highly desirable to sign young English talent, so an added premium is likely.
The Players That Manchester United could Buy in Other Positions
Manchester United have had links to players in other positions in recent months. The likes of Harry Kane could also be considering a move to Manchester and lesser-known players such as South American 22-year-old Yeferson Steldo. Furthermore, the position of left-back may need to be filled, but with Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams having stepped up in the past month, this may not be necessary.
Some of these players could make United look like an extremely dangerous team next season as they aim to climb further up the table.
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