The season is over for Manchester United, with the FA Cup giving a sweet finish to what has otherwise been a bitter year most of us would be better off forgetting.
Like us fans, the club will be quickly turning their attention to the transfer market in what could be a busy summer at Old Trafford, and there’s certainly a big need for improvement within that squad.
Eighth place in the Premier League is just not good enough for a club like Manchester United. We’ve become a bit of a laughing stock.
We need a big clear out this summer. I’ve already said I wouldn’t be disappointed if we got rid of 15 players, but we desperately need to add some quality, too.
Here are three signings I think United should make this summer, three signings that would improve us… although I think we need more than this three – we probably need another three or four!
Jean-Clair Todibo – Centre-back – Nice
We know Raphael Varane is going so we’ve got to bring a centre-back in.
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I do like Jarrad Braithwaite, but I like the idea of Todibo from Nice.
Obviously INEOS own them and I think he’s reasonably priced and he will adapt well to the Premier League.
He’s got pace and ability on the ball, so I think that would be a natural replacement for Varane.
Michael Olise – Forward – Crystal Palace
I don’t know whether Manchester United are necessarily crying out for a right winger, but creativity we certainly are, and Michael Olise from Crystal Palace would fit that profile.
He’s a player we’ve been scouting for a long time, he’s got a release clause, and just to have some creativity out wide, United are crying out for that.
That’s traditionally what Manchester United have been all about, wingers who create, rather than wingers who shoot, which is what we’ve been putting up with for years.
Ederson – Midfielder – Atalanta
We do need a striker, we need another centre-back, we need full-backs, but I would be going for a midfielder, too.
I don’t know whether we’re still scouting him, but I like the look of Ederson from Atalanta.
He played very well in the Europa League final and we’ve been scouting him for quite a while – Newcastle have as well.
I’ve been quite impressed with him and he could be a good replacement for Casemiro, a progressive type of midfielder.
Where are United right now?
I think there’s a big difference between being eighth this season and where we were last year, which is probably where I would put Manchester United.
Third to fifth is probably where we are. Winning titles? Absolutely not, since Sir Alex Ferguson has gone we’ve been nowhere near, despite finishing second a couple of times.
We’re nowhere near Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool now. That’s complete and utter fantasy at the moment.
Where we are is in that gap between third and fifth and this season has obviously been very disappointing.
I looked at the table and thought us, Newcastle and Chelsea have all had injury crises and yet we were very close to Spurs and only eight points off Villa in fourth.
So I do put this season down as one we need to write off, albeit with the FA Cup, but in relation to the league it’s been horrible and there are plenty of reasons for that on and off the pitch.
But, actually, the gap between us and Villa and Spurs is not like it’s 15 points – I suspect next season we’ll be in that alleyway again, unless we have a horrible season again with injuries.
Around third and fifth is where Manchester United are right now – but a strong summer would help us close that gap.
News Summary:
- Three must-sign players for Manchester United this summer – one of Premier League’s top attacking talents, replacements for Raphael Varane and Casemiro
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.