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The 2018/19 season is not one which many Manchester United fans would look back on with fondness.
It is no hidden secret that the club has been on a free fall since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013, but the just-concluded season was arguably the nadir.
Having started the season in disastrous form under Jose Mourinho which led to the termination of the Portuguese manager's contract in December 2018, the Red Devils enjoyed something of a revival in fortunes following the appointment of Ole Gunner Solskjaer, posting numerous positive results including overturning a 2-0 first leg deficit to eliminate PSG from the Champions League.
However, this proved to be a false dawn as the club once more capitulated at the business end of the season, winning just two of their last 12 matches after that surprise win over PSG and this poor run of form saw them eliminated from the FA Cup and Champions League, while also failing to make it into the top four.
To make matters worse, while their club was struggling, fans of United had to endure the horrifying sight of their rivals impressing, with Manchester City conquering all in England while Liverpool triumphed in Madrid for their sixth European crown.
Given the performance levels of a host of Manchester United players, it comes as no surprise that a wholesale clearout is expected this summer, with incoming players expected to kickstart their revival.
In this piece, we shall be having a rundown of five players who Manchester United can sign to help them rise to the top once more.
#5 Philippe Coutinho
It is safe to say that things have not quite panned out the way Philippe Coutinho imagined when he was making his record-breaking mega-money transfer to Barcelona in January 2018.
Amidst a struggle for form and consistency, speculation has emerged that the Brazilian international wants out of Barcelona less than 18 months after arriving and he could be on his way back to the Premier League as Manchester United have emerged as a possible destination.
The record Premier League winners are one of a number of clubs interested in the 26-year-old's signature, however, whether he would sacrifice his personal ambitions for the club's rebuilding process remains to be seen.
#4 James Rodriguez
With Paul Pogba reportedly on the verge of completing a transfer to Real Madrid, Manchester United would find themselves with a void in midfield which needs to be filled.
This is where James Rodriguez steps in as, despite lacking the physicality and ball carrying abilities of the Frenchman, the Colombian international more than makes up for that with his brilliant technique, close control and passing abilities.
The 27-year-old has seen his stock fall massively since his 2014 World Cup heroics and currently finds himself at a bit of a crossroads, as he is wanted by neither his parent club Real Madrid nor the club he was loaned out to - Bayern Munich.
A transfer away from the Bernabeu represents the best option and Manchester United have reportedly entered the race to sign the former Monaco man, with Real Madrid reportedly offering three players to the Premier League giants in exchange for wantaway man Paul Pogba.
Despite his recent struggles, James Rodriguez still remains one of the best playmakers in the world on his day and would undoubtedly help strengthen a weak Manchester United midfield.
#3 Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt has progressed from relative unknown to arguably the most in-demand teenager in the world in just a little over a year.
The Dutch international built on from his 2018 Golden Boy win and captured global attention with his displays in the heart of defense during Ajax's fairytale run to the semifinal of the Champions League in the just-concluded season.
The 19-year-old won admirers for his leadership quality as well as domineering defending and captained his beloved club to a domestic double.
Ever since he became the second youngest player to score a professional goal in Ajax's illustrious history (behind Clarence Seedorf), de Ligt was always destined for greatness and he seems to be on the path to fulfilling his destiny.
Despite being just 19, he is already an established international with 15 appearances under his belt and if he keeps up with this trajectory, he is well on his way to becoming the best defender in the world.
Unexpectedly, the Ajax academy graduate's displays have not gone unnoticed and he has emerged as a transfer target for a number of clubs including Manchester United and the Red Devils would have to fork out a considerable amount of money to sign the highly rated youngster but like his compatriot at Liverpool, he could prove to be worth every penny.
#2 Pedro
Manchester United scored just 65 goals in the 2018/2019 Premier League season and this fell some way short of the 95 and 89 posted by Manchester City and Liverpool respectively.
On an individual level, Paul Pogba was the club's highest goalscorer in the league with 13 goals (of which seven were penalties). Among their forwards, only Romelu Lukaku with 12 goals, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial (with 10 goals) each managed double figures in the league.
In the Champions League, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku were joint-top goalscorers with two goals each.
It is no exaggeration to state that Manchester United are in a fix. Romelu Lukau wants to leave the club, Anthony Martial has never really settled in, Marcus Rashford has not shown the consistency over the years to lead the line and the less said about Alexis Sanchez the better.
Goals win matches and it is imperative that the Mancunians sign a striker to put the ball in the back of the net.
Reports have emerged that the club has begun talks regarding the signing of Brazilian striker Pedro Guilherme Abreu dos Santos from Fluminense for the sum of £22m.
The 21-year-old cemented himself in the Fluminense first team in 2018 and has since then gone on to impress, scoring 19 goals from 37 matches in all competitions before injury hampered his progress.
#1 Aaron Wan Bissaka
Of all the problem areas that Manchester United need to attend to, there is perhaps none as pressing as the need for a specialist right-back.
It is rather disheartening that a club the size of United does not have a recognized right-back (with the exception of the unproven Diogo Dalot who is right now testing his powers at the Under 20 World Cup with Portugal).
Over the last few years, United have had to make do with two aged converted wingers operating the right flank of their defense and this anomaly came to a head during the course of the just concluded season.
In the absence of Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young occupied the right flank of defense and a common nauseating sight in most Manchester United matches was the 33-year-old receiving the ball in wide areas and good crossing positions only to deliver disappointing crosses, making a mockery of the fact that he spent most of his career as an out-and-out winger.
Moreover, the England international turns 34 next month and it is unfathomable that he would be expected to start the next season as Solskjaer's first choice right-back.
Over in the south of London, a certain 21-year-old earned rave reviews for his displays with Crystal Palace in the Premier League, having his breakthrough and making 39 appearances in all competitions.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka won admirers for his tenacity and effectiveness at combining defending with attacking and given his young age still has at least a decade of top-level football left in him.
While the club have identified Tottenham star Kieran Trippier as their primary target, reports suggest Manchester United have turned their attention to Wan-Bissaka.
