7 key areas that the Manchester United football director needs to address

John Murtough - Manchester United's New Football Director
John Murtough - Manchester United's New Football Director

#4 Striker situation

Southampton v Manchester United - Premier League
Southampton v Manchester United - Premier League

Edinson Cavani was a deal done on desperation after United bottled the Jadon Sancho deal. But Cavani has done well whenever he has played.

Meanwhile, Anthony Martial, who eclipsed the 20-goal mark for the first time last season, has found goals hard to come by and has also had to deal with injuries.

There's no doubt about Martial's quality, he's full of flair and a scorer of great goals, but there has always been the question - is he good enough to lead the attack for a club of Manchester United's stature?

Burnley v Manchester United - Premier League
Burnley v Manchester United - Premier League

Considering Cavani’s future has been thrown into uncertainty in recent weeks following strong links to Boca Juniors and with Martial not providing enough goals, the centre-forward position needs addressing.

Everyone is aware of Solskjaer's Erling Haaland obsession, and he was very close to joining the Red Devils in January 2020. If United enter the race for Haaland, then similar to Sancho, it would be very costly and there will be a lot of competition.

So, Murtough needs to be careful while addressing the number 9 situation.


#5 Wan-Bissaka needs competition

Manchester United v Sheffield United - Premier League
Manchester United v Sheffield United - Premier League

When United completed the acquisition of Alex Telles, everyone thought that Luke Shaw's days as United's first-choice left-back were numbered. But the 25-year-old has thrived with competition and has been the English top-flight's best left-back by a margin.

A similar tactic must be deployed for the right-back spot to get the best out of Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Similar to Shaw's resurgence, having a competition could push Wan-Bissaka to the next level. United were reportedly exploring a January move for Kieran Trippier and Max Aarons, and they should be going into the market once again for a full-back.


#6 Off-loading the deadwood

Manchester United v Leicester City - Premier League
Manchester United v Leicester City - Premier League

Solskjaer, the manager, has received his fair share of criticism from all quarters. But there is one aspect of his management that has been widely praised - clearing out the deadwood.

Marouane Fellaini, Ashley Young, Matteo Darmian, Antonio Valencia and Chris Smalling have all been shown the door since his appointment.

For the upcoming summer transfer window, players like Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Andreas Pereira, Diogo Dalot, Phil Jones and Sergio Romero might be on their way out.

There will be interest in loanees Lingard and Dalot, with the former having an incredible turnaround at the Hammers. Dalot, at 21, still has plenty of potential. Mata and Matic have been linked with a return to Spain and Portugal respectively. Everton wanted Romero last year and he will have suitors in the summer.

There will be little interest in Pereira, however, and the club will find it hard to get much of a fee for Jones too.


#7 Defensive midfielder - yay or nay?

Manchester United v West Ham United - Premier League
Manchester United v West Ham United - Premier League

Strangely, a position the club does not seem to be considering strengthening is central defensive midfield. A defensive-midfield signing has long been overdue at United.

Nemanja Matic's good days as a midfield enforcer are long gone, while the midfield pivot of Scott McTominay and Fred isn't quite good enough to match the club's aspirations.

A holding midfielder should be prioritized over a right winger. The names of Declan Rice, Wilfried Ndidi, Yves Bissouma and Denis Zakaria are doing the rounds across the fan base.

Any of the above-mentioned names will be an upgrade on what Manchester United currently have in their kitty.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava
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