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After Manchester United secured third place in the Premier League and Champions League football for the 2020-21 season, attention has quickly turned to who they will look to sign in the transfer market as they seek to challenge for the game's top prizes once more.
The player currently being most consistently linked with Manchester United is Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho, who is one of the most talented young footballers in the game today.
Having left Manchester City to join Borussia Dortmund in August 2017, Sancho's progress has been rapid. His impressive club performances have made the England international the subject of intense transfer speculation.
Sancho's statistics in 2019-20 are incredibly impressive. He made 44 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, scoring 20 goals and claiming 20 assists, as he averaged a goal involvement every 82 minutes. It is easy to see why some of the best clubs in the world covet the 20-year-old's services.
Is Jadon Sancho the right fit for Manchester United?
Jadon Sancho is a very talented and much sought after player, but he is not one that Manchester United need this summer. That is because there are a number of other areas which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer need to address if he intends to make Manchester United a team that can challenge for the Premier League once more.
After another poor season for David De Gea, it is clear that Manchester United need a reinforcement in that department. Some observers believe that Dean Henderson might be the answer. But he is still very inexperienced at the top level and would represent a big gamble for Solskjaer to put all his faith in the young English goalkeeper. Getting a top-class goalkeeper would be expensive if Manchester United decide to delve into the market.
There are also concerns about the defence. Harry Maguire has been an improvement but has yet to hit the heights expected of him. Questions remain over the form of Victor Lindelof and fitness of Luke Shaw who continues to be plagued by injuries.
The midfield is another problematic area. Bruno Fernandes has been outstanding since arriving in January. Paul Pogba has been much improved when playing alongside the Portugese player but doubts remain over the Frenchman's long-term future at Manchester United.
Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic have been the players that Solskjaer has turned to most often to don a defensive role in his side. While both have impressed at times, Matic's best days are behind him, and McTominay is still a work in progress. Midfield is indeed an area at Manchester United that cries out for improvement.
The pursuit of Sancho fails to recognise the significant progress made by Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood at Manchester United this season.
Rashford and Martial have both enjoyed the best years of their Manchester United careers in 2019-20.
Rashford scored 22 goals and produced 10 assists in 42 appearances, averaging a goal involvement every 102 minutes. Martial also scored 22 goals and had 11 assists, making a goal involvement every 101 minutes.
While these numbers aren't as impressive as Sancho's, it should be taken into account that Borussia Dortmund have been comfortably the second-best team in Germany while Manchester United struggled for large parts of the season till the arrival of Bruno Fernandes.
Alongside Rashford and Martial, Mason Greenwood also enjoyed an incredible breakthrough season for Manchester United. Still only 18 years old, the latest talent from the Old Trafford youth system scored 19 goals in all competitions and had five assists for good measure.
The signing of Sancho could stunt in the development of these players. Manchester United would be far better off spending their money on an out and out centre forward, which they haven't had since selling Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan, rather than adding another wide attacking player to their ranks.
Whatever Manchester United ultimately decide to do in terms of player transfers, the decisions they make in that regard will determine if the red side of Manchester would challenge for the top domestic and continental honours once more.
