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It's been a great summer transfer window for Manchester United. The Red Devils had made quite a few key appointments towards the end of the 2020-21 season. They hired John Murtough to be the director of football and former player Darren Fletcher as the technical director.
Matt Judge has done a stellar job as the director of football negotiations. The establishment of a proper structure has translated to immediate results in the transfer market. They've signed Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane for a combined £107 million + add ons.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is finally getting the backing he deserves in the transfer window. He has guided the Old Trafford outfit to 3rd and 2nd placed finishes in consecutive seasons. Now he needs to win trophies and the 2021-22 season could very well be where he delivers in that regard.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Manchester United could win the Premier League next season.
#5 Manchester United finally have quality squad depth
Manchester United have had a renewed focus on their youth system under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Several quality recruitments have been made to the youth setup. The Red Devils now have a fleet of excellent youngsters raring to establish themselves on the professional circuit.
James Garner, Shola Shoretire, Anthony Elanga and Hannibal Mejbri are some of the most promising young players who have already featured for the first team. Mason Greenwood is a regular while Amad Diallo has shown flashes of brilliance. Another promising youngster, Facundo Pellistri, has shone in pre-season.
Young strikers Joe Huegill and Charlie McNeill have both signed new contracts. While some of these players are certain to be shipped out on loan, Solskjaer will retain a few for what's expected to be a grueling season.
Though they have not achieved the kind of quality squad depth that their neighbours Manchester City have, the Red Devils are coming close. They have plenty of options in all positions.
Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood can play on the wings and also as centre-forwards. This means that they can be backups for Cavani, Rashford and Sancho who are expected to start for United.
Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Axel Tuanzebe and Teden Mengi are backup centre-back options. Alex Telles is currently out for a few weeks with an injured ankle. Brandon Williams is a worthy deputy for Wan-Bissaka.
Solskjaer has preferred using Fred, Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes in midfield. He also has players like Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, James Garner and Donny van de Beek who will all push for a starting berth in midfield.
Tom Heaton's arrival means that the goalkeeping department is well stocked for now as well. If both Dean Henderson and David de Gea stay put then there will be an exciting contest between the three to nail down a starting spot.
#4 Manchester United have one of the best midfields in the Premier League
Paul Pogba was arguably France's best player at Euro 2020. He was excellent alongside N'Golo Kante, showcasing his nimble touches and springing incredible passes to his forwards consistently.
Pogba is being linked with an exit but it will be the wrong time for the Frenchman to be offloaded. The combination of Pogba and Bruno Fernandes in midfield has been key to Manchester United having a decent season last time around.
Scott McTominay has gone from strength to strength and was United's best player in the Europa League final against Villarreal. Fred had a great outing at Copa America 2021. James Garner is coming off an excellent loan spell with Nottingham Forest.
If Solskjaer can work out a way to get the best out of the talent at his disposal, Manchester United will mount a challenge on all fronts in the 2021-22 season.
#3 Playing a more attacking formation
As per reports, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told his team that he wants to play a more attacking 4-3-3 formation this season. Up until now, Solskjaer has gone with two holding midfielders to facilitate stability in Manchester United's midfield as they embark on counters.
However, the problem with this is that the Red Devils have excellent attacking midfielders in Donny van de Beek, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes. Pogba was accommodated as a left-sided midfielder a number of times in the 2020-21 season.
Van de Beek spent most of his time in the dugout. But now that Solskjaer has a formidable centre-back pairing and added Sancho to the mix, they can afford to play a more attacking brand of football. The Norwegian has always advocated playing attack-minded football and he finally has the kind of squad that can help him achieve that.
#2 Raphael Varane's entry makes Manchester United's backline world-class
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has changed the look of Manchester United's defence. Having now secured Raphael Varane's services, subject to a medical, Manchester United have two world-class centre-backs. Maguire and Varane are adept at playing out from the back and are excellent in a defensive sense as well.
Both are dominant in the air and this will hopefully curb the inflow of goals from set-pieces. The appointment of Eric Ramsey as the set-piece coach is also expected to have a positive effect on both sides of the pitch.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is one of the best in the business when it comes to one-on-one defending. Luke Shaw has established himself as one of the best left-backs in Europe. Solskjaer now has a world-class backline. To borrow a line out of the great Sir Alex Ferguson's book, "attack wins you games, defence wins you titles."
#1 Jadon Sancho
The Jadon Sancho transfer saga has gotten the kind of coverage it has due to the sheer importance of such a signing to Manchester United. The Red Devils have operated without an out-and-out right winger for years now. Jadon Sancho is one of the best wingers in the world and has been tearing it up for Borussia Dortmund.
In the 2020-21 season, he scored 16 goals and provided 20 assists in 38 games across all competitions. Manchester United already have a quality frontline. Edinson Cavani is their first-choice number 9. Marcus Rashford has made the left wing his own.
Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial are excellent goalgetters on their day. Sancho's entry will add one more dimension to the Red Devils' attack. The Englishman is a creative force and it will be interesting to see just how this dynamic plays out on the field.
