5 Premier League teams and the key positions that need reinforcements

#2 Manchester United (Fullbacks)

Valencia has been brilliant for the Red Devils but an upgrade is needed

It is one of the greater ironies of football in Europe that a United side that has spent £600m on players since its legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013 is relying on converted wingers to man its full-back positions.

Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young have been manager Jose Mourinho's preferred full-bacs this season and while both have performed well, it has been a less than ideal position. Given that both men have had to compensate for their natural attacking instincts by being extra careful in defence, a situation that has curbed their attacking instincts and robbed the team of the width and extra attacking threat that fullbacks in the modern game usually offer.

The natural full-backs in the side: Luke Shaw, Matteo Darmian, and Daley Blind have hardly gotten a look-in and on the occasions, they have been picked, they have been mediocre.

Faster, better upgrades versions will be needed with strong rumours already linking the side to players like Tottenham Hotspur's left-back Danny Rose, and Celtic's left-sided defender Kieran Tierney among others. Mourinho will have to take a leaf out of Pep Guardiola's playbook and do a clearout of his rather mediocre collection of fullbacks and start afresh.