Six out, Three in: Manchester United’s essential transfer business this summer – originally posted on Sportslens.com
With just a few short months to go until we reach the end of another campaign, there will no doubt be transfer rumours flying around the internet surrounding most teams in the Premier League but probably none more so than global giants Manchester United.
On course to qualify for the Champions League, and possibly to finish as high as second in the Premier League table for the first time since 2017/18, there is no doubt that current United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is building a strong team.
In saying this though, Solskjaer will want to strengthen his squad come the summer so that he is able to put out a team capable of genuinely challenging for the title given that near neighbours Manchester City are practically out of sight this campaign, needing just 14 points to win it.
Football is of course a matter of opinions, so here I am to give mine and present to you the transfer activity that I think United need in order to try and reclaim a coveted Premier League trophy and to end what would become 10 years without it at Old Trafford.
Outgoings:
Phil Jones
This summer, Jones will mark 10 years at United and personally, I think it’s time for him to move on. While he started on the front foot and looked promising as a youngster coming into the club from Blackburn Rovers, his career at Old Trafford has taken a steep decline in the last few years and he has spent more time out of action through injury than actually on the pitch.
Registering just eight games in all competitions last campaign and yet to make an appearance at all this time around, I don’t see him breaking back into the first team setup even when fit, so he may well be searching for a new club come the end of May. A good servant to United, but now more well-known for his facials becoming memes.
Eric Bailly
My choice here may be harsh but it’s undeniable that any title-winning side needs to have a great defensive partnership and I don’t see Eric Bailly playing a part in one of those. United have done reasonably well at the back this season, keeping 12 clean sheets so far, but that has come through the main partnership of captain Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelöf.
Bailly has become a bit-part player and has only managed 8 league appearances this season, keeping 3 clean sheets. I don’t think that he’s a bad player by any stretch of the imagination but given my thoughts regarding a new incoming centre back later on in this article, there’s just no room for the Ivorian in my opinion.
Juan Mata
Similarly to Eric Bailly, I don’t think that Juan Mata has done a lot wrong while wearing a United shirt, but I do think that he should be moved on from Old Trafford this summer. Now 32, Mata is getting no younger and has also become a bit-part player under Solskjaer this season, having played just 12 games in all competitions.
Mata was a great acquisition when he arrived but now he just doesn’t have the legs to play at a high tempo which is the style I think his current boss is trying to implement on the side. Whether Mata stays at the club in a coaching role is another matter, but I think he’s good enough to offer his services to another club lower down the league table for sure. Either that or to return to Spain.
Jesse Lingard
Sticking with United’s midfield and a move that we probably all expect to happen but one that will be no less emotional for those involved in Jesse Lingard’s eventual United exit. The 28-year-old has come through the ranks alongside his best friend Marcus Rashford but since his loan move to West Ham in January, we’ve seen Lingard back to something like his best.
Having not played a single minute for United in the Premier League this season, he’s established a regular place in David Moyes’ starting 11 and the midfielder is starting to be involved in goals once more.
Solskjaer spoke earlier this month of his admiration for Lingard as a player but said Bruno Fernandes has come in a filled his position so I can’t see him returning to United. It’s time for him to say his goodbyes to those who have made him what he is today.
Donny Van De Beek
Possibly my first controversial choice here in terms of an outgoing but it’s clear to see that Van De Beek’s move to England with the Reds hasn’t worked out. Now sidelined with an injury, the Dutchman only signed back in September, but I already think he should be sold on while his market value hasn’t declined too far.
In terms of the league, Solskjaer has only named him in his starting lineup twice, and then actually brought him off at half-time in one of those games. I don’t see where he slots into the team, and I think he still has the potential to be a top player somewhere else, possibly a return to Ajax on the cards?
David De Gea
And I’ll finish my outgoings with the boldest shout of De Gea leaving the club in summer. Having arrived in the summer of 2011, he had a shaky start to his career at Old Trafford but has since transformed into one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League over the last decade. Essentially, he joined as a boy and will leave as a man whenever he does exit.
In my opinion, I can see it being in the next transfer window for a number of reasons including the fact that United now have a solid replacement in Dean Henderson, which they haven’t had for years. This season really is the first in a while that De Gea has been challenged for the number one spot and although he has remained in goal for the majority of the season, Henderson has proved himself when called upon as he is doing now.
De Gea is currently back in his native Spain following the birth of his first child, spending time with his family including his Wife who interestingly has never lived in England with him. With all these contributing factors, I do believe DDG will push more than ever for a move back to Spain, and I’m sure he would leave United with the well-wishes of everyone connected to the club if he did.
Incomings:
Now, if United are to ship out the players listed above in the next transfer window, the club’s fans and the rest of the world will have eyes glued on who is brought into Old Trafford.
Here are – in my opinion – three players that the Red Devils could eye to enhance their title chances come next season.
Jadon Sancho
Potentially the most obvious answer to any question ever. United made no secret both in last Summer’s window and January’s that Borussia Dortmund’s Sancho was a priority purchase and unfortunately for Solskjaer’s side, that never came off.
The reason for that was United not being willing to meet the asking price for the Englishman, believed to be surplus of £100 million, and while that is still a lot of money, I can genuinely see Sancho in a red shirt come the start of next season.
Despite a poor season for the German side overall, Sancho has been a real live wire and has grabbed 11 assists in 21 Bundesliga games, more than any United player has managed in the league so far this season including star man Bruno Fernandes.
With his speed and crossing ability, I believe Sancho would fit Solskjaer’s system well but would arrive at Old Trafford with a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
Harry Kane
There is absolutely no doubt that United have been lacking up front for many games in this campaign so far. Although the quality is there in terms of individuals, the link-up play hasn’t always been great and without Fernandes’ penalties, they may well have found themselves a lot lower in the league table.
The simple answer to their lack of firepower up top is Harry Kane. Having been Spurs’ star player for the last five years, Kane is yet to win a major trophy with the North London side and has previously expressed his utmost desire to have accolades to his name.
Widely expected to score goals at any level, I wouldn’t put it past Kane to become the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer by the end of his career, and that’s no exaggeration. The striker knows where the net is and provides not only a goalscoring instinct but a real knowledge of the game as well as physically being able to dominate most defenders, something which United lack an ability to do if veteran Edinson Cavani isn’t on the pitch.
United getting Kane and Sancho is highly unlikely though, due to the cost implications amongst other factors, so it may be a case of one or the other.
Jonathan Tah
Now for my final ‘player pick’ and the potential defensive signing I touched on earlier in the article. United’s defensive woes have been widely discussed for many years now, and while I like Victor Lindelöf, I don’t think his partnership with Harry Maguire is going to lead to a league title.
One man who could come in and change their fortunes though is Jonathan Tah, currently of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Tah may be a shock inclusion in this list, but for me he is exactly what United need.
25 years of age, the German international already has vast experience having played regularly at Leverkusen for the last six seasons. He is a physical presence at both ends of the pitch and someone who I think would be able to learn from Maguire playing alongside him regularly.
Perhaps not regarded as one of the ‘best’ defenders in the world, I certainly think Tah could be moulded into someone that fits that category and wouldn’t cost United a huge sum of money considering today’s inflated market as he is currently valued at around £30 million.
Given the poor season that Leverkusen are having in the Bundesliga, this Summer could be the perfect time to tempt Tah away from the BayArena and into Solskjaer’s starting 11.