Manchester United’s summer transfer planning is already well underway with the club handed a £50million injection of funds before the window has even opened.
Paul Pogba is on the lookout for a new club after United confirmed his exit at the end of his contract on Wednesday before the club also said their goodbyes to Jesse Lingard. Spanish playmaker Juan Mata’s exit at the end of his contract was then confirmed on Thursday.
Those exits have been complemented by the exit of veteran goalkeeper Lee Grant – who has taken up a coaching role at Ipswich Town – while holding midfielder Nemanja Matic has already confirmed his departure from Old Trafford. The exits have not stopped there as striker Edinson Cavani is also ending his two-year spell at United with the expiration of his contract.
Even though none of those player exits will bring transfer fees, they will save United just shy of £50m per year in wages. Furthermore, Phil Jones, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly and Anthony Martial are all thought to be on the market with the club keen to listen to offers.
United face a huge summer transfer window with no shortage of change on and off the pitch. The club have already secured new boss Erik ten Hag and a new coaching team, with interim boss Ralf Rangnick and his staff leaving the club permanently. Yet there will also need to be plenty of further renovations on the pitch.
The club are targeting additions in defence, midfield and attack with the squad depleted in each area and short on numbers. Whilst young players such as Hannibal Mejbri, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho are likely to be given greater prominence this season, there is a need to add the right profile of player.
Have Your Say! Which players should Man Utd sign this summer? Tell us what you think here.
United are currently gauging the possibility of signing Barcelona midfield star Frenkie de Jong, even though the Dutch international midfielder is said to prefer staying at the Camp Nou. The Catalan club’s financial problems mean they are opening to cashing-in on the player this summer and United are hoping that Ten Hag, who coached the midfielder at Ajax, can prove decisive in helping the player overcome his reluctance to join a club not in the Champions League for this coming season.
In attack, Benfica striker Darwin Nunez has emerged as United’s number one target. The Uruguayan bagged 34 goals last season including in both legs of the club’s Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool, alongside the header that eliminated Ten Hag’s Ajax at the Round of 16 stage. Nunez would spearhead a new-look United attack which would include Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
Those two players would be the two dream additions for United this summer but the club must also be looking at avoiding the worst-case scenario. The club’s intentions of selling Wan-Bissaka, Jones and Bailly are indicative of the changes needed in the back-line this summer.
United leaked 57 goals in the Premier League last summer, a rate of 1.5 per match and four more than relegated Burnley. The club are hopeful of signing at least one defender this summer but ideally two; Ajax defender Jurrien Timber and Villarreal’s Pau Torres are high on the club’s wanted list, while Braga’s David Carmo is being monitored as an alternative to the former.
This is a transfer window which has a high degree of variance from United, it is inevitable that not all of their ideal targets will be landed but outgoings are likely to be just as important as those players arriving at Old Trafford. It promises to be an action-packed three months at the club as Ten Hag faces a whirlwind start.
Man United best possible XI : De Gea; Timber, Varane, Torres, Shaw; De Jong, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes, Ronaldo; Nunez
Man United worst possible XI : De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Bailly, Telles; McTominay, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford; Ronaldo
