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A trophy-less season was what was on the cards for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United in the 2017-18 season. Despite reinforcements arriving in the form of Romelu Lukaku upfront and Victor Lindelof in the back, Mourinho's second season in charge hasn't been a happy trip for the Portuguese.
United watched their rivals Manchester City hoist the Premier League and League Cup, while Chelsea beat them in the FA Cup final. Even Liverpool made it to the Champions League final, further accentuating the clubs failures last season. A strong second-place finish, however, indicates that the club has the infrastructure to finish as Champions soon enough.
Having already signed midfielder Fred and Right Back Diogo Dalot, Manchester United has already made a good start to this window. Who should all join these two at Carrington this season? Let's find out.
#5 Milan Škriniar: Internazionale
At the age of 22, Milan Škriniar already has a lot of experience in his belt. Joining Inter Milan from Sampdoria last summer, Škriniar played every single minute of Serie A football in a tremendous season for Inter which saw them secure a return to the Champions League. Manchester United must secure themselves by signing someone who has the potential to be a crucial player for them for the coming seasons.
Victor Lindelof failed in his first season at the club, and United desperately need a centre back which can complement Eric Bailly's bombastic style of defensive play. Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo have all failed to support Bailly in the past two seasons, and it is time for United to splash the cash on a sure bet like Škriniar.
He will cost the club upwards of 45 million euros, but his value is compounded by his versatility to play as a midfielder too. He got 4 goals last season too, which shows that he also has the prowess to probably finish a game off when required.
#4 Kieran Tierney: Celtic FC
A player that has been rumoured to join Manchester United over the past, Tierney may just be the player that United need the most. A weak left back situation has plagued Manchester United ever since Patrice Evra left, as Luke Shaw just isn't up to the grade. Having gone through last season by playing a makeshift ageing Ashley Young as a left back, Tierney may just be the solution for Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho has been showing an affinity towards buying young, but solid players ever since he took over. He has reflected that this season too, and Tierney will be another great addition to this squad. A 21-year-old left back, he has been instrumental to Brendan Rodgers's Celtic side. He played 40 games in their Invincibles season and featured 55 times last season.
He also played every single minute of Celtic's Champions League group stage games, getting an assist for his troubles. He already has a winning mentality and experience playing in Europe, and that makes him an even better fit for Manchester United. If Mourinho chooses to pay upwards of a modest 10 million for Tierney, the young Scot can become a game changer in the United set up.
#3 Alex Sandro: Juventus
Alex Sandro may just be one of the best left-backs in football right now. Even though he missed out on the World Cup for Brazil, Sandro has been proving his worth in an uber-talented Juventus squad over the past few seasons. Signings like Tierney are exciting and more rewarding in the long run, but Sandro is a proven commodity who stands a higher chance for success for Manchester United.
Sandro may be disappointed with Juventus right now, not having been given regular appearances last season. He has made a modest 39 appearances in all competitions last season, missing a few games due to injury and suspension. However, every time he is on the pitch he is a game changer for Juventus.
He has 4 goals and 6 assists for Juventus and is a very highly rated wing-back. Considering Juventus have the young de Sciglio waiting for his chance to shine, it won't be too hard for Juventus to split with the 60 million rated left back. United have been needing stability in the left back position for a while, and that stability will be achieved if the 27-year-old is made to join them. This too is a perfect marriage.
#2 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic: Lazio
The Lazio man is one of the most sought-after players in this window, and it is imperative that he chooses to snub all others to join Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. The 23 year old Serbian hasn't been able to make a mark in Russia this summer, but he is geared and ready for another season of club football after heavily impressing in Rome with Lazio last season.
Paul Pogba's creativity has been stifled ever since he has been made to play in a double pivot with Nemanja Matic. Even though Matic has thrived, the play-maker in Pogba has been dying. Savic joining can rid United of that problem, as he can perfectly pair with his countryman in the middle of the park, freeing up Paul Pogba for more attacking duties.
Mourinho has been making makeshift attacking midfielders like Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford, so Savic joining can free Pogba to move upwards. Even though his 80 million price tag is off-putting, it can be a worthy investment in securing the future of the club. His 14 goals and 9 assists from a modest position are just cherries on top for this deal to go through.
#1 Gareth Bale: Real Madrid
While the left is over-saturated with players like Alexis Sanchez, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, the right side hasn't been as blessed, with just Jesse Lingard there. Juan Mata has slowed down too much to still be a potent attacking threat from the right side, so Gareth Bale is the perfect summer purchase for Manchester United.
The Real Madrid man hasn't been used to his attacking best in Madrid, as he plays second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo. It is time for Gareth to return to England and set the Premier League on fire again.
Gareth Bale regularly turns up for Madrid when given the chance, as shown by his match-winning brace in the Champions League final against Liverpool. If he joins, he can be the perfect player for Mourinho, helping the team open highly defensive teams open by his attacking runs and speed.
A goal every 112 minutes last season, and 7 assists to go with it, Bale joining could probably rid Manchester United of lifeless draws by using his match-changing abilities whenever he steps on a pitch. This is the major signing that United need, even if it requires them to stump up upwards of 90 million for the Welsh winger. Considering his resume, he will pay the club back instantly by being the last piece of the puzzle for Manchester United.
