Four Manchester United targets have been selected for the transfer window that is fast approaching this summer. After a lack of activity in 2020, the transfer market is likely to rebound this year, with many major moves rumored. Many of these surround United, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer eager to continue rebuilding after his team suffered a painful 11-10 penalty shootout loss in Wednesday’s Europa League final against Villarreal. This heartbreak may fuel the Red Devils’ recruiting this summer, with four big names on their shortlist of finalists.
Decisions made on Manchester United goals this summer
The names on the list
United appears to be on the lookout for the moves of Jadon Sancho, Declan Rice, Harry Kane and Pau Torres this summer, all of which would turn out to be expensive signings.
Sancho was constantly linked to the Manchester squad last summer, but they were unwilling to comply with Borussia Dortmund’s € 120m valuation of the young Englishman. However, its price appears to have dropped this time, which may open the door to United, the Theater of Dreams that seems destined to be Sancho’s home at some point in his career.
United tend to have a difficult time attacking on the right side of the field. Mason Greenwood regularly starts there, but instinctively favors a position in the middle of the front line, not the natural winger Solskjaer so desperately needs. His lack of a right back is further accentuated by the defensive skills of right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. While he is arguably the best tackle in football, the former Crystal Palace player is not as strong up front and struggles to make a substantial impact in the final third.
Sancho would be an absolutely vital signing for Solskjaer, and this could be the perfect summer to finalize the deal.
Declan Rice, the second of three English names on the list, would fill another role that United has struggled with of late. An aging Nemanja Matic who hasn’t been a starter for the last two or three seasons, the Red Devils haven’t had a defensive midfielder and thus have been limited to the rather negative double pivot of Scott McTominay and Fred.
Should Rice be signed from a highly accomplished West Ham United, it would fill this void and allow Paul Pogba, if he stays at Old Trafford this summer, much more freedom when playing in central midfield. Such a signing would also relieve McTominay and Fred of their initial weekly duties and while they are useful options for the team, neither of them are world-class.
Third on this short list is Harry Kane. It will likely cost most of United’s four goals and is for whom they would face the most competition. But it would be worth it.
A proven Premier League striker, Kane is categorically world class and would give the Red Devils attack the cutting edge it has been asking for since Romelu Lukaku left in 2019. This summer, it seems more likely than ever that the player from The 27-year-old will look to leave his childhood club Tottenham Hotspur after they failed to win a trophy in another disappointing season. With United’s progress on an upward trend, he may see Old Trafford as the next step in his career.
The fourth and only foreign player on the reported list, Pau Torres, would provide a massive boost to the Manchester United defense, which has been the subject of much criticism recently. Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire have formed a largely stable central defensive partnership over the past two years, but they certainly have their weaknesses, and without Maguire they look shaky.
Hiring someone of quality to play alongside the former Leicester City defender could transform United’s performance next season, as seen with Ruben Dias at Manchester City, and Torres could be the player to fit that bill. He has been a mainstay in Villarreal’s defense since 2019 and will have impressed United’s coaching staff with his excellent performance in the Europa League final. The Manchester team will now look to sign him over the summer window, along with the other three targets they have selected.
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