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You can review Manchester United’s season in numerous ways. There is one aspect that would stay constant in your analysis, however, and it is the inconsistency in their performances.
United may not be as bad as television pundit Tim Sherwood makes you believe every weekend, though, there is a lack of stability when it comes to churning out appropriate results consistently. They tend to switch off in games against easier opponents, something that is adverse to Jose Mourinho’s attitude.
This has seen them lose against Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion in the league, which eventually sets them nine points behind Manchester City, who have been undoubtedly better at putting games to bed against relatively weaker opponents. The fact that this United side have the capability to enthrall fans with scintillating performances is known.
Their comeback win against Manchester City will definitely be the benchmark through which I will judge the current team, however, they need to realize that the easier games are tricky ones too and the tendency to switch off during these games has cost them a whopping nine points in the league already. There are numerous factors that result in their breakdown in such matches and there are certain holes that need to be filled effectively in the squad for that. Michael Carrick and possibly Marouane Fellaini will be leaving the squad at the end of the season and that eventually opens up two midfield spots in the team.
Players like Daley Blind and Fellaini could move away in search of regular playing time and hence United are opined to have a busy transfer window this time around.
Here, we examine the ten possible candidates who should be targeted by the club this summer. I would like to make it clear that the list hasn’t been made on the basis of the attractive index of the players, instead, their utility and the possible purchase price has been considered and hence you might see some players who are not generally linked with top clubs in here.
#10 Jamaal Lascelles
The Newcastle United captain is an influential leader on the pitch and has led the Magpies’ defence extremely well on occasions.
Lascelles reads the game well and is always alert to thwart off attacks with his quick feet and astute positioning. If caught off-pace, Lascelles puts his body in the line of the ball and clears the ball out of the defence too.
Manchester United have faced a major problem while defending goals from set-pieces and that is due to lack of natural leaders at the back. Hence, Lascelles would be of great advantage in this aspect too, as his aerial prowess combined with the personality to command respect and the tendency to arrange the backline will help United get rid of a major problem.
He has scored three Premier League goals this season and all of them have come via his head. This indicates that the 24-year-old is a threat in the opposition half due to his aerial abilities.
Lascelles is the captain at Newcastle United but might not get that role instantly over at United, however, if he is able to display his qualities on a regular and consistent basis, he might as well assume that role at Manchester United too.
#9 Wilfried Zaha:
It would be a weird move, considering Wilfried Zaha did not leave Manchester United in the best of circumstances, however, if we take a deeper look into the matter, then this makes a lot of sense too. Firstly, almost every forward is overpriced in the current transfer market. Accordingly, buying attacking players will not be the primary objective for United this summer, however, they need a traditional right-winger who is capable of regularly playing on the right wing and can bring in a certain goal threat too.
United’s right flank is almost invisible in attack as none of the current players are natural right-wingers, to be honest. Alexis Sanchez, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are all converted right wingers and hence they do not perform at their best in that position.
On the other hand, Zaha is a player who likes play on that flank and has been particularly impressive for the Eagles this season. In a sense, he solely sparked a remarkable turn-around as they were set to be relegated after a woeful start to the season.
With his brilliant pace and deceptive footwork, Zaha makes a fool of fullbacks with the number of tricks that he has up his sleeves. He can stretch the byline and puts in decent deliveries into the box too.
The Palace winger will thrive on the counter-attacks too and can rotate around the attacking positions due to versatility and talent. He has scored seven goals and assisted two goals in 25 appearances in the league this season. Once he plays in a better team with better-quality players around him, those stats are bound to improve. This move might be unlikely but could turn out to be a smart one eventually.
#8 Thomas Meunier
Antonio Valencia is Mourinho's only trusted right-back at the moment, as Matteo Darmian has flattered to deceive every time he has been given an opportunity. Valencia will turn 33 years old by the time next season starts, though, hence United will find themselves a right-back short if Valencia ends up being injured for some matches. Signing a proper right-back should be one of the objectives in the upcoming transfer window for United.
Thomas Meunier is a modern fullback who can carry out his defensive and offensive duties effectively. His positioning and quick feet help him in his defensive work, and hence the Belgian is a solid defensive prospect.
His attacking contribution is impressive too, as he cuts in from the flank and links up with his forwards to storm inside the penalty box and creates a chance, or scores a goal too.
He has scored four goals and assisted thrice in 19 appearances in the league, however, Dani Alves’ presence has stalled his playing time to a certain extent and a move ahead to United will be beneficial for him and the club too. PSG might have to release some players in order to follow the regulations of the Financial Fair Play rules and United should take advantage of this situation.
#7 Jean Michael Seri
One might argue that Jean Michael Seri has had an underwhelming season this time around, but well we know how footballers can’t perform to their best when they do not want to stay in a particular club. Seri’s dream move to Barcelona broke down last summer and that seems to have affected his performances too. His talent is not in doubt, though and it is generally believed that he would be back pulling the strings in midfield once he moves out of Nice.
Seri is a deep-lying playmaker as such, who sits in his half and breaks down attacks. He then initiates counter-attacks with his immense pace and strength on the break and slick passing. Seri drives the team ahead and carries to ball from the midfield to near the penalty box to create chances. His long-range shooting is commendable too, as is his ability to break down the opposition defence with accurate through-balls.
Seri can act as a perfect foil alongside Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba in a midfield three. He sprays the ball out from the midfield and would be a replacement for Michael Carrick.
#6 Willian
Again, Willian will be a direct contender to take over the right-wing responsibilities if the Brazilian moves to Manchester United. He is a favorite of Jose Mourinho, and it is not difficult to fathom the reason. Willian is very quick on his feet, and his direct running makes him a dangerous player to come up against in counter-attacks.
He has a bag of tricks up his sleeves and can use them to tame the defenders whenever he has to put in some crosses from the flank. He stretches the backline with his immense pace and direct approach and links up effectively with the other forwards.
At 29 years of age, he has garnered enough experience to be slotted into the team easily and his stats back up his case too. In 32 Premier League appearances this season, he has scored six goals and assisted seven. Willian has created 57 goal-scoring chances too and might have notched better numbers had Chelsea been more clinical on some occasions this season.
#5 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
The Serbian has been touted to make it big in world football in the coming years, and the signs have already been there. Savic is a defensive midfielder, who likes to storm ahead at times and will be another good candidate to fill up the midfield positions. He breaks down attacks with his brilliant positioning, challenges and starts off attacks with some accurate one-touch passing football.
He is physically strong and deals with challenges pretty well. Savic is a direct footballer, who likes to burst into the other half as soon as he gets possession of the ball. He is tactically intelligent too and can follow defensive instructions well. In 29 Serie A appearances this season, he has scored nine goals, assisted twice, having created 42 goal-scoring opportunities too.
Savic has completed 58% successful take-ons and that underlines his determination to drive the team ahead. He is strong in the air too, and that can be utilized by Mourinho to solve his problems on both ends of the pitch. The player might cost a huge amount of money, but he sure does have the potential to fulfill his price tag if given the correct opportunities and scenario to play in.
#4 Fabinho
Fabinho has been a long-time target for Manchester United and this summer would be the appropriate time to try to sign him up. Capable of playing both as a defensive midfielder and as well as a right back, he solves up many issues in United’s setup. Fabinho is comfortable with the ball at his feet and tends to pick out the right man in the opposition half. He records a passing accuracy of 87%, and that is a promising sign for a deep-lying midfielder.
Fabinho follows his defensive instructions, and stops the flow of opposition attacks and has won 48% of his defensive duels this season. In 30 appearances, he has scored six goals and assisted three times, a stat that further enhances his status as that of a box-to-box player. He is particularly strong in the air and has won an impressive 66% of his defensive duels in the league.
He registers four defensive actions per game on average, hence the balance that he maintains between his defensive and attacking duties might prompt United to lure him to Old Trafford soon.
#3 Ivan Rakitic
Manchester United would prefer signing Toni Kroos, but any move for the German would result in Real Madrid reigniting their interest in David de Gea and that would surely not please any United fan or the board too. The acquisition of Ivan Rakitic might be a difficult one to pursue, but if they can, it would be worth the effort.
The Croatian midfielder is a defensive workhorse and regularly pulls the strings in deep midfield for Barcelona. His composure in possession of the ball is appreciative, as Rakitic always looks forward to purposeful passes rather than making dull-headed backward balls. He recovers possession of the ball very well and then looks to find his teammate in free positions in the other half.
Rakitic is quite energetic and his presence in the centre of the field would allow Matic some more defensive support. The Croatian’s close-control, coupled with his passing range is impressive, and would surely add a whole lot of quality to the current United midfield.
#2 Toby Alderweireld
Toby Alderweireld has undoubtedly been one of the best centre-backs in Europe in the past couple of seasons, though, his reputation has taken a hit after being sidelined due to an injury for the majority of this season. The Belgian is a true leader at the back and has been a stalwart for Tottenham Hotspur in recent years.
His game-awareness, combined with an assurance during challenges and strong aerial presence helps Spurs, who have formed one of the strongest defensive units in recent times. Alderweireld can build the play from the back and does not dive into challenges until required. His physicality helps him deal with physically strong forwards with ease. Moreover, he has garnered Premier League appearances in abundance and is in the peak years of his career.
A move for him would add more stability to Manchester United’s backline, however, they need to act soon and take advantage of his contractual negotiations, otherwise Daniel Levy would play hardball, as is his characteristic.
#1 Samuel Umtiti
Samuel Umtiti has been a revelation for FC Barcelona in recent times and has solved their defensive problems that were so apparent last season. Umtiti is the quintessential modern defender, as he reads the game well and breaks attacks with his accurate positioning.
He does not make any rash challenges and safely thwarts away attacks due to his intelligent reading of the game. Umtiti is a young leader at Barcelona and his presence has had a huge influence on Gerrard Pique too, as the Spaniard has benefited whilst playing alongside a younger, more assured player.
He has a pass accuracy of 91%, an amazing statistic for a centre-half. Umtiti has also won 58% of his defensive duels and has been particularly impressive in headed duels. In aerial battles, Umtiti has a success rate of 67% and that would benefit him a lot whilst adapting to the nature of the Premier League. United would surely welcome an upgrade on Phil Jones and Chris Smalling and at 24 years of age, they will also get a long-term solution to their defensive issues.
Barcelona, however, will be reluctant to let go of such a talented player and hence it would require a whole lot of negotiations. The possibility of this deal taking place is still unknown but it might turn out to be one of the most interesting transfer sagas this summer.
