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As the January transfer window approaches, clubs will start to finalise their shortlist of players they seek to strike up deals for.
Typically, January is quiet for Premier League clubs, but Manchester United need reinforcements heading into a very competitive and fixture-heavy part of the season.
There are two clear weak points in Manchester United’s squad: the left back and an orthodox winger. Here are five suggestions that would adequately fill those roles:
#1 Danny Rose
The England left back has fallen out considerably with Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, and, coincidentally, dropped down the pecking order in the first-team.
Rose was one of the first names on Pochettino’s team, but comments made to the press at the start of the season has rightly struck a nerve with the Spurs hierarchy.
The former Southampton left back was injured for a large part of 2017, but is now back and raring to go. He has featured in a few Champions League and Premier League games, but it appears Pochettino does not trust Rose to play twice in one week, hence the rotation.
Manchester United’s left back issue revolves around Luke Shaw’s absence from the first-team due to consistent injuries and questions being asked about his temperament.
While the Red Devils have Daley Blind, the Dutchmen is not a player that strikes fear into the opposition’s defence with his attacking menace. But Rose does, which is why it would make sense to try to coordinate a swap deal for Rose and Shaw.
Swap deals rarely happen in football but, in this instance, it does seemingly point to this direction. It would be a deal that is beneficial to all parties involved.
#2 Antoine Griezmann
The Atlético Madrid star was tipped to be joining Manchester United last summer, but given the circumstances around the club’s transfer ban, the French international did not want to leave without a replacement coming in for him. A noble and honest mark of respect, which should only be applauded.
However, Atlético’s transfer ban is uplifted in January, with Diego Costa arriving from Chelsea, and so there could be movement out of the Calderon with Griezmann.
Manchester United have lacked a great crosser of the ball this season, which Griezmann has proved to be time after time. While the Frenchman is not an out-and-out winger, per-se, he is a superb threat in the final third.
Zlatan Ibrahimovi? might be back from his long-term injury ahead of schedule, but, at 36 years old, the former Sweden star is not going to be around forever. Griezmann could well be his replacement, even if he does arrive a bit before his time.
There is already a fantastic relationship with Paul Pogba off the field, which is only going to work wonders for the two of them on the field - in a similar way to how Pogba and Lukaku have combined this season.
The price is not going to be cheap for Griezmann, who has only recently renewed his contract with Atlético.
#3 José Gaya
The left-back of Valencia has routinely been mentioned when discussing potential departures from Spain to England. Gaya has been a prominent fixture in Valencia’s first-team for a number of years now, picking up a lot of interest around the whole of Europe.
Gaya is a typical Spanish left back – incredibly quick and loves to get forward and join the attack. His defensive attributes do not let him down, though. He is on his way to being a complete left back, but that impetus in the final third is what Manchester United lack from a left back.
There will be times that Gaya is caught out by players, but his sheer turn of speed usually allows the Spaniard to make up for his mistake.
As you can imagine, at 22 years old, Gaya is not going to be an inexpensive purchase. With having three years left on his contract, the fee is going to be in the ballpark of £35m.
Gaya has provided three assists in 12 games this season, and has helped Valencia in reaching second place in the table, just four points behind Barcelona. It has been a remarkable turnaround at the Mestalla Stadium this season.
#4 Alejandro Grimaldo
Another Spanish left-back is Grimaldo, formerly Barcelona’s youth team set-up. Instead, Grimaldo is playing his football for Benfica in the Portuguese league, where he is proving to be quite a handful in trying to mark.
While Grimaldo has only contributed one assist this season for Benfica, he is still a prominent attacker and overlaps his winger expertly.
There have been many clubs interested in Grimaldo, ever since his Barcelona youth days, but that interest has only amplified since his positive arrival at Benfica.
A key plus point to Grimaldo is his ability to take free-kicks and set-pieces, something United lack. While they do have crossers of the ball and Zlatan Ibrahimovi? on free-kicks, they do not operate at a consistent level.
Manchester United’s routines from corners has been declining for years, and has, arguably, reached a new low. They rarely pose a threat from the set-piece, even though they are the tallest team in Europe and have such powering figures in the area and so a player like Grimaldo could well fix that for a long-term solution, given the Spaniard is only 22.
#5 Riyad Mahrez
The Leicester City winger seemed to be on the verge of leaving the Foxes over the summer, as he went to the airport when away with the Algerian National Team, only to find no one was willing to pay Leicester’s £40m asking price.
Leicester held firm in keeping Mahrez, and the Algerian has kept his head held high and rediscovered the form he was in two years ago. The tricky right winger is exactly the type of winger Manchester United could do with - someone with end product.
Both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are quite similar in how they play the game: both like to cut inside and shoot on their favoured right foot. While Mahrez, too, likes to cut inside, he also has the superb option of taking on his man and whipping in a fine cross.
This season, Mahrez has registered five assists and scored four times in all competitions, but it has been his overall influence on games that has been pleasing to see. Last year, Mahrez would drift in and out of games without really grabbing a handle on them. Yet he has changed that attitude and is now playing a more direct role in Leicester’s team.
The Foxes are unlikely to have changed their stance on Mahrez’s price tag, given the Algerian’s current contract does not expire until 2020, but the Red Devils certainly have the means to go and purchase the player.
