When the 2023/24 began, few could have predicted the quandary Man United are in, especially given how they fared in Erik Ten Hag’s debut season with the club, which was widely viewed as a success. Under him, United finished third in the league, made it to the Europa League knockouts, the FA Cup final and won the Carabao Cup.
But, six months into Erik Ten Hag’s second season, things have gone from hopeful to woeful as Manchester United have already been knocked out of the Champions League where they conceded a record 15 goals in 6 games and the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United, which United won last season.
Man United’s summer defensive rebuilding will likely release a few players.
One of Manchester United’s biggest problems this season has been the lack of good, solid defensive partnerships. Lisandro Martinez has been majorly absent this season, from mid-September till January, where he returned as a substitute in a pulsating 2-2 draw with Tottenham, while the injury prone Raphael Varane has been mostly used as a fringe player, due to “tactical reasons”.
The centre-back pairing of the resurgent Harry Maguire and the ageing Jonny Evans has been mostly hit or miss whereas, fullbacks Tyrell Malacia, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Luke Shaw have been mostly injured this season. Consequently, the club has had to make do with Diogo Dalot and loan signing Sergio Reguilon.
In such a context, it makes sense for Man United to bolster their defence for the upcoming season. Owing to FFP restrictions, it could be that Man United transfer some of their current defenders first before they can afford to sign any new players.
While Evans is expected to leave for free when his contract ends, Raphael Varane could be let go of as well as United look to restructure and trim their wage bills. There are high chances that Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof could be sold to generate funds for other Man United transfer targets, while forwards Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial might be sold as well, after having fallen out of favour with Ten Hag.
Man United wants to add new players in the summer.
As of now, Man United transfer targets include Jean-Clair Todibo and Bayern defender Matthijs De Ligt, both of whom make for good partners for Lisandro Martinez. The transfer of De Ligt would be excellent as not only is he a top defender but also a good fit to Erik Ten Hag’s tendency of having a knack for signing and working with players that he has managed earlier, examples of which are the signings of Andre Onana, Antony, Lisandro Martinez and approaches to sign Jurrien Timber and Frenkie de Jong.
But it is more realistic that Man United transfer Jean-Clair Todibo to their squad as his signing would be more sustainable than De Ligt’s for United in the long run. Todibo’s arrival at Man United should not be a problem as French outfit Nice is owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who recently acquired a minority stake at United and currently holds the control of all footballing decisions and operations.
It is also possible that Man United transfer targets for the next transfer window include a defensive midfielder, given that Casemiro isn’t getting younger, and that loan signing Sofyan Amrabat has been majorly underwhelming so far. It also would not come as a surprise if Man United transfer plans include a seasoned striker to pair with Rasmus Hojlund and a winger to replace Antony who has not yet registered a single contribution this season.
Who do you think would be a better signing for Man United and which other players should be included in Man United’s transfer plans? Let us know in the comments below.
