Three transfers to fix Manchester United
Introduction
After an insipid performance against Liverpool, Manchester United need reinforcement. People may think I’m being reactionary however I’m not as there are positions in the starting eleven that have caused issues for months and need addressing ASAP if the club is actually serious about competing for silverware.
Change the System
First of all, the first measure I will take is changing the system. The 4–2–3–1 was effective earlier on in Ole’s tenure as the squad overall had limited ability and counter attacking made sense, given the high volume of wingers with pace (Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and at the time Daniel James).
Now, we need a change of system. 4–3–3 was the formation Ole Gunnar Solskjær utilised early on in his caretaker spell and it needs to be brought back. Our players now would excel playing in this system due to the fact that we have better players and a larger portion are better suited to a possession based system. New signings like Raphaël Varane but more importantly, star signing Jadon Sancho, will really benefit from this change.
This will give us more balance offensively, as the flexibility allows for a much easier change to a back three in possession, but also allows for the two number 8s to advance into higher positions. Paul Pogba operating on the left while Bruno Fernandes is on the right would make sense.
Buy a CDM
This leads me onto my next point. There’s no question that United needs a CDM. We probably should’ve invested there instead of signing players like Daniel James or even Donny van de Beek or more controversially, Jadon Sancho.
I’d want to see United implement a 4–3–3 but it ultimately depends on whether you have a good CDM or not. It worked during Ole’s caretaker spell as Nemanja Matić was in his prime, however now the Serbian is showing clear signs of decline with his physical capacity and his inability to complete a full 90 minutes playing at a high intensity is a concern.
For me, the first transfer that has to be made is purchasing João Palhinha from Sporting Lisbon. A formula that has worked in the past with United buying players from Sporting and them turning into key players could do the trick here. Palhinha may not be a familiar name to everyone however he’s certainly a player that deserves a chance at a big club.
When I see Palhinha play, I immediately get Matić connotations. Both are big defensive midfielders, very good defensively and their passing range is superb. João Palhinha moves much better than Matić and has more to offer. When it comes to aerial duels and tackling, Palhinha is very strong in those categories, as well as his passing, concentration and intercepting.
Although his contract may expire in 2025, Sporting currently values Palhinha at roughly £18 million (per Transfermarkt). This is a deal that should be done quickly and efficiently, as the Portuguese will be sought after in the coming transfer window by big clubs.
Goodbye, Harry Maguire
Slightly controversial, but honestly I couldn’t care less. Harry Maguire may have had a solid Euro 2020 campaign, however his best form is few and far in between. With a price tag of £80 million pounds, you would’ve expected a player to have had consistent performances at a high level. We’ve not seen that.
Maguire may be a good centre back, however we need a better one. A centre back that is more reliable and more importantly, quick. While Varane is a quick centre back, it will be a much greater aid to United if both of the centre backs were quick. This will allow for a higher line when in possession, allowing for us to dominate the opposition.
Enter Lisandro Martínez from Ajax. Like Palhinha, I doubt many Manchester United fans would know an awful lot about the Argentine centre back. But he will definitely be a name heard frequently in the very near future, as he is performing very well with the Dutch giants right now.
According to SofaScore, Martínez ranks third out of Ajax’s squad in terms of average match rating in the Eredivisie, with an average score of 7.58 per game. The Argentine centre back should definitely be considered by the United hierarchy due to the many qualities he possesses.
He’s left footed, which will add balance to the back four when building possession, he’s quick, strong aerially, athletically strong, good at tackling, very good with his passing and like Palhinha his passing is at a high level.
Very simply, United should be all over Martínez especially considering his valuation being just over £21 million (per Transfermarkt).
Right Back?
Simple answer, yes. Basically, I don’t think Aaron Wan-Bissaka is good enough to be at Manchester United. Defensively, he’s very good but the modern game requires the fullbacks to be gifted in both the offensive and defensive areas of the game. As a comparison, Luke Shaw worked massively on his attacking output and is doing very well for United.
For me, Wan-Bissaka looks far too uncomfortable on the ball and offensively, doesn’t give me confidence. His link up play is poor, so he wouldn’t work with a player like Jadon Sancho and his crossing is below par.
Honestly, and again this may be controversial, but I don’t care, we should sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka and we replace him with Kieran Trippier, from Atletico Madrid. Trippier has been linked with a move to United for a few transfer windows and we should look to bring him in ASAP. The Englishman played a very big role in helping Atleti win La Liga last season and he could really help United going forward.
Defensively, he may not be as good as Wan-Bissaka, however there’s not a huge difference. Offensively, Trippier is much better. His strengths are his crossing, passing and aerial duels. With a valuation of roughly £17 million and his contract expiring in 2023, we should look to bring Trippier in. We’d get 2 or 3 really solid years from him, as he is 31, before bringing in Diogo Dalot, who should be serving as Trippier’s understudy.
Starting Lineup
So with those signings made and the implementation of the new system, United could be lining up like this:
