Who Manchester United should sign to challenge for the league next season
Last season was a confusing one for me. It was a season of many highs, but also with some dramatic lows. Finishing 2nd is a sign of clear progress under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however getting knocked out of the Champions League and then making the Europa League final, only to subsequently lose it to Villarreal, was really a kick in the teeth.
Without a doubt, the 2020–21 season for United needed a few trophies won in order for it to be considered a success. The fact that we won 0, was really disappointing. I was furious when we were knocked out of the Champions League. We had our destiny in our own hands, where all we needed was a win or even a draw to qualify.
But for some reason, we changed our game plan and our system. We didn’t play our game. We lost 3–2. That Europa League final, the less said about it the better. Domestically, the league wasn’t really in our reach. Manchester City were another level above the league during that season. Though in the EFL Cup and the FA Cup, I was disappointed that we didn’t win either of those trophies.
So next season, if I was Solskjaer, then I would reiterate to the players the importance of winning a trophy next season. A club the size of United shouldn’t be struggling in a competition like the Europa League or getting knocked out in the group stage of the Champions League. If anything, we should be competing for those trophies.
But I think next season, with some signings that are definitely possible, a title charge is on the cards. If Manchester United complete these signings, then I feel that Manchester City will have a difficult job retaining their crown, with teams like Chelsea and Liverpool strengthening their teams.
Jadon Sancho
Dear me this deal would take the life out of any and every Manchester United fan. It’s been going on since the end of the 2019–20 season, with many bumps along the way but we finally agreed a deal in principle with Borussia Dortmund (₤72.9 million) on July 1st of this year.
I think everyone knows of Sancho’s quality, but what’s scary is how big his potential is at 21 years old. Last season in the Bundesliga, Sancho recorded an average SofaScore match rating of 7.55, where he played 26 games starting 24 of them, scoring 8 goals and racking 11 assists.
For those that somehow don’t know him, he’s an absolute weapon to have in your forward line. Capable of playing LW, RW or CAM, Sancho is a creative winger who is very good with his passing (through balls and key passes), dribbling and his finishing.
Sancho is best used on the right of a front three, as he registered 6 goals and 5 assists there in the 14 occasions he played there for Dortmund this season in the Bundesliga. When he plays there, he is direct and productive as he drives at defenders, looking for a link up or skillfully skipping past a defender looking to cross it in with pace.
He is really going to excel in Ole’s 4–2–3–1 system, as he can rotate with Rashford depending on the game, which will make defending against United whether it is in possession or on the counter attack, nearly impossible.
Sancho is definitely a signing to get excited about.
Raphaël Varane
For me, Raphaël Varane is the perfect partner for Harry Maguire at center back. He is an upgrade on Victor Lindelöf, who isn’t a bad center back by any means however Varane has a quality that Lindelöf doesn’t have; pace.
On the recovery, Varane is a beast and he is one of the quickest center backs in La Liga. Easily one of his strengths is his recovery pace hence why he was only dribbled past 0.3 times per game in La Liga this season. This will be huge for United, as it will allow for the back 4 to have a higher line (similar to Liverpool) and it will also allow for Harry Maguire to be the first center back out to press aggressively.
Passing wise, Varane is solid in that he had a 90% passing accuracy in La Liga last season. In his own half, his passing accuracy was 93% and in the opposition half, his passing accuracy was 82% which is decent. Further, his ability when it comes to long passing is also elite. His technique is superb, and it would be massive to have his range, along with Maguire’s when it comes to building possession.
Varane is also solid in a physical contest, whether it is on the ground or in the air. He backs himself with his strength and his height. Last season in La Liga, he won 76% of his duels (as a comparison Lindelöf won only 57%), where in the air, Varane won 80% (Lindelöf 63%) and on the ground Varane won 73% (Lindelöf 47%).
Raphaël Varane is a signing that Manchester United have to wrap up as soon as possible, especially with contract negotiations stalling at Real Madrid at the moment. He only has one year left on his current deal, and with Madrid looking unlikely to match Varane’s wage demands then United should really step in.
Varane’s price is very appealing, considering Real Madrid are holding out for roughly ₤51.4 million. An absolute bargain for a player of his quality!
Eduardo Camavinga
This guy is setting France alight, and at only 18 years old he looks to be a real star. Manchester United are strongly linked with this lad and you can’t blame them considering the season Camavinga had in Ligue 1, as well as his current price which is being quoted at roughly ₤25 million.
This season he played 35 games in Ligue 1 for Stade Rennais, starting 28 of them. He registered an average SofaScore match rating of 7.01, scoring 1 goal and grabbing 2 assists. Primarily he variated between playing on the left of a double pivot in Bruno Génésio’s 4–4–2 system or on the right of his 4–3–3 system.
Easily one of Camavinga’s strength is his tackling, where he makes on average 2.8 tackles per game (compared to a midfielder like Scott McTominay, who makes 1.6 tackles per game). On the ground, Camavinga is particularly effective with his tackling, winning 6.1 ground duels per game (at a rate of 57%) compared to McTominay who wins 3.7 of his ground duels (at a rate of 58%).
Passing wise, Camavinga is solid. This season in Ligue 1, he had a passing accuracy of 89%, where in his own half he had a passing accuracy of 93% whereas in the opposition's half he had a passing accuracy of 86%. Compared to Scott McTominay, he had a passing accuracy of 87%, where in his own half he had a passing accuracy of 90% however in the opposition half he had a passing accuracy of 83%.
While Camavinga is only 18 and may seem a bit raw, there’s every reason that he can play in Solskjaer’s double pivot at Manchester United. A midfield three of Paul Pogba, Eduardo Camavinga and Bruno Fernandes is a very scary proposition for opposition players to defend against.
Kieran Trippier
He would be the icing of the cake if he was to be the fourth signing of this transfer window. United are linked with a move for him and with Atletico Madrid’s asking price being ₤30 million for the England international, as well as the season he had, you can’t blame them at all.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a very good right back, but there’s no denying that his end product when it comes to providing in the final third, he’s not there yet. For me, we should be looking to get Trippier in as soon as possible, because if signing Alex Telles managed to get Luke Shaw to perform at an elite consistent level for the whole of last season, then there’s certainly hope with Trippier.
Wan-Bissaka needs competition and Trippier will certainly provide it. The 30 year old is very good at crossing and is dangerous with his set piece delivery. Aerially he is very good, and his tackling isn’t that bad.
But his crossing is absolutely beautiful and it would be a huge asset for the team, especially having a forward like Edinson Cavani who thrives on crosses into the box. This season, Trippier averages 1.2 accurate crosses per game which is much better than Wan-Bissaka’s 0.4 per game.
Trippier would be a very handy signing particularly if we needed a more offensive right back, though it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we didn’t get him. Though the point still remains, Wan-Bissaka needs competition.
Starting Lineup on Matchday 1
For me, this lineup would definitely be able to win the league. However you don’t just win games because of your starting eleven. However, every single player in there is quality. I’d expect us to challenge for the league with this linuep.
