3 Manchester United players who will be key in the 2019-20 season

Manchester United made a bright start to the brand new 2019-20 Premier League season with a 4-0 demolition of Chelsea last Sunday. It is still early days, but there is some promise into this new, vibrant United side despite a largely underwhelming transfer window according to the red contingent's point of view.

There is belief among the United faithful that a number of positions in midfield and final third have not been fully replaced, with chief among being midfielder Ander Herrera and striker Romelu Lukaku.

But with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reiterating that in Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James, United have done adequate business during the summer, it begs the question – who are the players likely to be given so much responsibility during this campaign and who will likely be key week-in week-out?

#3 Anthony Martial

Anthony Martial was a cult hero from Day 1 when he announced himself with a breathtaking goal against Liverpool in 2015. The Frenchman would go on to rack up 17 goals in all competitions during that season culminating in an FA Cup title triumph. He was the club’s leading goalscorer in the 2015/16 season.

But the Frenchman would be a forlorn figure when Louis van Gaal lost his job at the end of that season. It was the Dutchman who had played a key part in securing Martial’s signature from Monaco for the-then record fee of £36 million for a teenager which rose to £57.6 million.

Jose Mourinho was appointed manager and he would barely see eye to eye with Martial, and at one point of time talks for a new contract with the youngster were in real jeopardy. But after Mourinho was sacked at the end of last year, Solskjaer’s appointment seems to have lifted Martial. That, along with Romelu Lukaku’s departure to Inter, has provided the Frenchman fresh impetus to play in his preferred No. 9 position for this season.

He will be United’s leading man in the centre forward line.

#2 David de Gea

David de Gea’s immense contribution over the last five seasons at United has been nothing but extraordinary. The Spanish goalkeeper won United’s Player of the Year a record four times and made the Premier League’s PFA Team of the Year multiple times during his 8-year stay at the club.

De Gea did suffer a dip in form last season, with a handful of costly errors including one against Chelsea at the back end of the 2018/19 season which almost certainly ended United’s slim hopes of getting a Top 4 spot.

However, when the Spaniard is on song, he is arguably United’s most important player. His shot-stopping ability is among the best in the world and there is no doubt he will benefit greatly from the centre back pairing of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.

#1 Harry Maguire

For years, Manchester United have desperately waited for leading and authoritative centre backs ever since Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic left the Old Trafford club. United tried out numerous pairings but to no avail. At one point last season, Ashley Young was played in that position to further highlight the real crisis United had got themselves into.

But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer addressed that matter with interest, and the Red Devils forked out a world record fee of £80m for a defender to tempt Leicester City to part ways with their most prized asset, Harry Maguire.

Maguire is an excellent ball-playing defender who reads the game very well. He is a significant upgrade to any of the centre backs United have in their books right now and he is likely to partner Victor Lindelof for this season.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee