Five positions Manchester United need to address this summer - and the players they could sign

There has been a plethora of new arrivals at Old Trafford since Jose Mourinho took over as the manager in 2016. Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Eric Bailly, Nemanja Matic, Victor Lindelof, Fred Rodrigues and Diogo Dalot are seven of the nine signings made by the club under the Portuguese, while Alexis Sanchez was brought in from Arsenal in exchange for another Mourinho signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a stop-gap solution to United’s striker problems, was shipped to LA Galaxy upon former Everton man Lukaku’s purchase.

While there was a plethora of fresh blood brought into the club over the last two years – in a spending spree worth north of £300m (figures from transfermarkt.com) – the former Real Madrid manager was forced to end the season with nearly half a team filled with signings that were made prior to his arrival. The likes of Chris Smalling, Ander Herrera, Phil Jones and the aging full-back Antonio Valencia were all forced mainstays regardless of how impressive or unimpressive their showings were.

If the reports are to be believed, there will be another host of new talent to be brought in by the Manchester club to address a few key areas of the team. Along with reinforcements, United will also look to replace the reportedly outgoing squad players such as Matteo Darmian, Daley Blind and Marouane Fellaini.

Here are five positions that United need to address, and players that could potentially fit the bill.

Center-Half

Belgium v Panama: Group G - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Despite signing a central defender for two summers running – first Eric Bailly and then Victor Lindelof – Jose Mourinho still lacks a world-class centre-half who could provide the rock-solid base on which a team can be built. United are on the lookout for an ideal partner for Bailly.

Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly has been one of the most impressive defenders in the Serie A after they became the first team to accumulate 90 points and failed to win the Scudetto. Yet, he could prove to be the centre of a bidding war and could cost up to £70m. Clement Lenglet had a string of impressive performances in the Champions League and would be a relatively cheaper option to every other name United have been linked with, and younger than most. Jerome Boateng – a World Cup and Champions League winner – is seemingly an immense coup for anyone who can prise him away from the Allianz Arena.

But the most ideal option for United is Toby Alderweireld if Daniel Levy does drop his asking price (MEN report that Spurs want £75m for him). The Belgian is arguably the ablest centre-half in the English top flight with compatriot Jan Vertonghen and has all the qualities to lead and organize a defence. The Spurs defender comes with an abundance of experience in the league, is capable of playing with the ball at his feet and has an excellent reading of the game. The long-term benefit of this move would be his leadership and the influence he can have on the young Lindelof and Bailly. The only notable drawback is his injury record – but if fit, he should be the leading candidate to lead United’s defence.

Koulibaly is a very plausible alternative for Alderweireld and is relatively younger than the Spurs man.

Left-Back

Juventus v Hellas Verona FC - Serie A

When Ed Woodward made Luke Shaw the most expensive teenager in world football, there was a very strong belief that he could be the full-back United could be served by for the good part of a decade. Yet, since that potentially career-ending injury he suffered against PSV, the Englishman has failed to regain his spot in the team as well as the qualities that once made him the hottest property in English football.

Darmian has notably tailed off since his arrival from Torino and is now reportedly seeking a move away from Manchester (multiple sources). Dire circumstances led to Ashley Young, a former winger, to be United’s go-to left back for a large part of the 2017/18 season, with his performances varying from brilliant to appalling. The major issue, though, is that he turns 33 in less than a month.

The primary target for this position has to be Juventus’ Alex Sandro. After enduring arguably his worst season in the black and white of Turin, Juventus could be tempted to cash in on one of their hottest prospects in order to strengthen the squad. Matteo Darmian could prove to be the bargaining chip that United hold in this case upon considering their long-standing interest in the Italian. Sandro is a naturally attacking full-back who can provide the width that the team lacks, is an excellent crosser of the ball which would benefit Lukaku heavily, and most importantly is an excellent defender.

The Brazilian ticks all the right boxes for Jose Mourinho and with head scout Javier Rebalta’s previous experience at Juventus, a potential agreement could be reached.

Faouzi Ghoulam of Napoli could be seen as a viable alternative for the former Porto man after another stellar season in Naples.

Central Midfield

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The departures of Fellaini and Michael Carrick leave United with just four central midfielders in the first team – Pogba, Matic, Herrera and their latest recruit Fred. Young Scott McTominay is another name in the fray in the capacity of a deputy to Matic. Considering that United could potentially play more than 50 matches in the coming season, there is room for another central midfielder.

The two names primarily linked with United are Aleksandr Golovin and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic who are both reportedly generating strong interest from Italian giants Juventus. Both are capable of playing deeper in midfield and are quite young. Bleacher Report report that Real Madrid are also interested in signing the Serbian, and say that he could potentially cost up to £130m.

Either one of the two could be targeted by United (will also depend on the remainder of the budget after the purchase of Fred) but the Lazio man could be the real statement signing that United look at. Likened to former Serie A star Paul Pogba, the Serbian is a well-rounded midfielder capable of dominating a midfield. Given that Mourinho is likely to opt for a 4-3-3 set up with one holding midfielder, the former Genk man can take his time to adapt to a new league under the mentorship of his childhood ‘idol’ Matic. He would also provide more of a physical presence in both boxes.

Golovin would be a great purchase if they manage to strike a deal for him as well and has been one of the most impressive central midfielders by far at the World Cup – albeit it's possible that United and other potential suitors might be quoted a higher price after his commanding performances in Russia.

Right Wing

Real Madrid Celebrate After Victory In The Champions League Final Against Liverpool

It is hard to recall the last time the Old Trafford outfit had a notable presence on the right over the last decade or so. Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard – both naturally central players – are the two most recently used players tasked with providing width from the right. There is a severe lack of width particularly from the right, and the two names linked primarily with United are Gareth Bale and Willian Borges.

Perhaps one of the biggest signings in their history if they can pull it off, Gareth Bale has fallen down the pecking order at European champions Real Madrid and has been linked with a move to Manchester for the good part of seven years now. The Welshman is arguably part of the elite group of footballers when fit. He would provide not only a solution to the right wing problem but also the individual brilliance and goal-scoring ability that any club in the world would be privileged to have in their ranks.

Florentino Perez would demand a hefty fee for the winger who Los Blancos broke the transfer record for back in the summer of 2013. United are one of the few clubs in world football that can afford the Cardiff-born forward and he could turn Mourinho’s men into title contenders if he can keep himself fit.

Willian is the other pure right winger that has been linked to United for obvious reasons, mainly being the relationship he shares with the Portuguese coach. He’s spoken in the past of his admiration for Willian who isn’t a prolific goal-scorer but can provide energy down the right and has the work-rate and ethic that Mourinho adores. The former Chelsea winger might not be the marquee name that United would look to add to their ranks but could certainly provide a short-term solution much like Alexis Sanchez. But at 29 – at a similar age to that of Bale – the latter is most certainly to be made the top priority.

Backup Striker

Sporting CP v Boavista - Primeira Liga

If you’re wondering why United would go for another striker after the £75m purchase of Romelu Lukaku just over a year ago, the FA Cup final in May will provide all the answers. With the Belgian out through injury, there was a sudden lack of a focal point in attack to deputise for the striker and United’s attack faltered, causing them to lose the final.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic gone, United have no other alternative to Lukaku during a potential injury crisis or even for squad rotation. Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez both have past experience in playing that role but clearly do not fit the profile of a number 9 for the manager who is reportedly on the lookout for a second striker. The two names mainly linked with switches to Old Trafford have been Mario Mandzukic of Juventus and Marko Arnautovic of West Ham.

Mandzukic would provide the best possible option as he comes with a wealth of experience in Europe, including a wonder goal in a Champions League final. He can perfectly slot into the target man role to provide a focal point for United in Lukaku’s absence, and as witnessed at Juventus, can also play out wide. It is rather difficult to see him move to Manchester and surrender his starting berth in Turin for a role on the bench.

Arnautovic bares similar qualities to the Croatian and has had a great season with West Ham. But, with the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini, West Ham are on the cusp of a revolution and it would be difficult to prise him away from the London Stadium without paying a hefty fee. United will comfortably have to fork out a figure north of £50m for a 29-year-old secondary striker, which does not seem all too logical (yet possible).

Both Mandzukic and Arnautovic do not seem like plausible options due to a number of reasons such as transfer fees (for a second string player), wages and potential demands for a starting berth. And especially in Arnautovic's case, a lack of experience playing for a top club at the age of 29.

The ideal candidate could potentially be found in Mourinho’s native country Portugal in the form of 29-year-old target man Bas Dost. The former Wolfsburg striker could be a wildcard option for United for a number of reasons. Standing at six-foot-four, the Dutchman has been a prolific goal-getter for two seasons in Liga NOS and could be the ideal back-up for Lukaku keeping all variables in mind. He is unlikely to command a hefty wage bill and could be available on a cut-price fee due to the ongoing problems at Sporting Lisbon.

The Dutch International is also the same age as United target Arnautovic and is a whopping three years younger than Mandzukic. With Champions League experience and an amazing 27 goals and 3 assists in 28 starts for Sporting this term - and a career-best 34 goals and 4 assists just the season before - Dost appears to be an ideal deputy for Romelu Lukaku.