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It's no secret that Manchester United will need reinforcements in the upcoming summer transfer window. The club has underperformed to a great extent in recent times and much of it has been down to poor performances from their footballers.
While existing players can improve, new talents are always required to keep things fresh and challenge the existing players for their places. With several big names entering the upcoming summer window as free agents, the onus will be even more on the club to get it right.
Manchester United have to solidify their midfield and defense
The crux of the problem at Old Trafford lies in midfield and defense. They just haven't been good enough in recent years, with the defense making too many errors in crucial games. At times, the midfielders have also looked short of ideas while their defensive work rates have not been up to the mark.
It suffices to say that Manchester United's prime target in the upcoming free-agent market will be to cover these holes. Here are some players they could bring in on a Bosman move:
#5 Marcelo Brozovic
Manchester United have a massive shortage of midfielders who can play in defensive roles without giving up on the offensive front. Both Fred and McTominay have been deployed in such positions, but neither has been able to step up to the task consistently.
United may have a cheap solution to this problem if they manage to secure the signature of Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic. The Croatian was one of the best bargain signings when he joined Inter from Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb. Brozovic is a tough-tackling midfielder, known for winning the ball and starting attacks.
His current contract with the Nerazzurri expires at the end of the 2021-22 season, but that has not affected his performances. On the contrary, he has been a consistent member of the starting XI as Inter Milan look to defend their Serie A title.
Brozovic has already made 28 appearances, and his primary duty has been to shield the defense. But he has chipped in offensively, contributing a goal and two assists.
#4 Boubacar Kamara
Boubacar Kamara is one of the many talented youngsters currently coming up through Ligue 1. Playing for Marseille, Kamara grabbed the headlines with his brilliant displays for the French outfit at just 22 years of age.
He began his journey as a centre-back before being shifted into his current defensive midfield role. His versatility is a prime reason United could look to bring him to Old Trafford. Additionally, Kamara is technically sound and doesn't rush into rash tackles.
Kamara has already played plenty this season, though not always as a starter. He has made 23 appearances and has been reliable when called upon. Manchester United could potentially get themselves an incredible bargain by picking him up as a free agent in the summer.
#3 Denis Zakaria
Manchester United have been strongly linked with Switzerland international and Borussia Monchengladbach footballer Denis Zakaria in recent times.
If reports are to be believed, many members of the Red Devils hierarchy believe that their woes in defensive midfield could be solved by bringing Zakaria in. The midfielder fits well into the requirements of a potential new defensive midfielder for Manchester United.
However, there have been contrasting reports that Bayern Munich could acquire the midfielder instead, to replace the outgoing Corentin Tolisso.
Despite making his intentions to leave Monchengladbach clear, Zakaria has been a regular for the club in the ongoing season. He has already made 17 appearances, primarily as a starter. While maintaining defensive solidity has been his primary role, Zakaria has scored a couple of goals and got an assist as well.
#2 Matthias Ginter
Although the defense looks excellent on paper, Manchester United have a problem in the area. The trio of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane have all been inconsistent and have struggled with injuries to make matters worse. Eric Bailly looks set to depart while Phil Jones has also struggled with fitness issues.
The club's poor performances in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era have often been due to the shoddy work of the defensive unit, which has been highly leaky at times. Borussia Monchengladbach's Matthias Ginter could solve the growing problem at Old Trafford without the English club spending too much.
The German international is a hard tackler of the ball and is extremely effective in connecting the defense and midfield with accurate passes.
Ginter has already informed Monchengladbach about his decision to leave at the end of the 2021-22 season. Yet he has been a regular in the current season, having made 19 appearances across all major competitions.
Manchester United can expect stiff competition if they want to secure the German's signature in the summer.
#1 Franck Kessie
Many Manchester United fans believe the duo of Scott McTominay and Fred are just not good enough to match the club's high standards. But there may be the perfect upgrade out in the market that can be acquired for little in the summer transfer window.
Franck Kessie has been one of the best players in Serie A in recent years and has grown in stature at his current club AC Milan. The Rossoneri have tried several times to tie him down with a new contract, but it looks fairly certain that Kessie will leave the club as a free agent in the summer.
Kessie has been one of the standout performers in the current campaign and has been a mainstay of the midfield. He has played 21 times across all competitions and has helped Milan up to third place in Serie A. Aside from stopping opposition attacks at the root, Kessie has also scored five times and assisted on one occasion.
However, signing the 25-year-old will not be easy for Manchester United. Fellow Premier league rivals Tottenham as well as La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are rumored to be interested in his services.
