Get The Cheque Book Out

We’re less than a month away from the summer transfer window opening and, as a United fan, I’m curious to see who’ll be playing at Old Trafford next season, especially with the uncertainty around the potential takeover of the club. This week’s post will focus on which players the Red Devils should buy this summer. As a disclaimer, this list may change depending on if United do or don’t qualify for the Champions League but for now, when picking these players, I’m assuming United will finish in the top 4. With that out of the way, let’s get into it.

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Victor Osimhen

The area that needs addressing the most is centre forward and Victor Osimhen would be the perfect striker for this team. Out of the strikers that may be on the market, he fits the profile of a no.9 that United are desperate for. He’s still only 24, meaning his best years are still ahead of him. He’s physical and should have no issue adjusting to the physicality of the Premier League. Not to mention he’s very good in the air and a willing runner in behind. Having been tearing it up in Serie A this season, now might be the time to test himself in the English top-flight. The other striker who has have been linked with the Red Devils for the longest time is Harry Kane, but I think Osimhen is the better choice. Let’s be clear: Harry Kane is the better player and Premier League proven. But United need to be thinking about both the present and the future when it comes to transfer strategy. The Nigerian is 6 years Harry Kane’s junior and could be our striker for the next 5-10 years. Not to mention it would be far easier to negotiate with Napoli than with Daniel Levy. We haven’t always made the best choices when it comes to signing strikers, but United should take a risk and sign Osimhen, at all costs.

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David Raya

I’ve been David De Gea’s biggest defender over the years, but this season has shown we need a new keeper. There have been times that he has saved us in games, producing top-quality saves, but that doesn’t excuse the number of howlers he’s made this season. I think he’s made the most errors lead ing to goal than any other keeper in England. In the age of modern goalkeeping, his distributions and his ability on the ball is below par. There aren’t many keepers out there who really excite me to be honest, but I look at David Raya at Brentford as someone who could be a suitable replacement. He’s got experience of the league, he’s one of the better keepers in the league on the ball and his range of passing is underrated. I also don’t think United would have to break the bank if he made the move from West London to Manchester, with the rumoured price tag being £40m. The issue seems to be that there are contract talks ongoing between De Gea and the club to extend his contract. If he stays, I don’t think Raya would want to be his understudy and De Gea certainly wouldn’t want to play second fiddle to Raya. I guess we’ll have to watch this space.

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Frenkie De Jong

We’re all aware of the soap opera that was United’s failed attempted at signing Frenkie De Jong from Barcelona last summer. However, I think we should try go back for him again. When thinking of midfielders that the club may be looking at, five came to mind: Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo, Jude Bellingham, Frenkie De Jong and Ryan Gravenberch. The first three mentioned will cost north of £100m and I don’t think United will want to spend that on one midfielder. Plus, they’re more heavily linked to other teams. That leaves De Jong and Gravenberch and out of the two, I’d go with the former. I think Gravenberch is a decent player and he’s been unlucky during his time at Bayern. However, given the brand of football that Ten Hag is trying to get his time to play, De Jong would fit his philosophy perfectly. When he’s played, Eriksen has been good in that “number 8” role, but I’m not too sure how many more years he’s got left at the highest level. A midfield next season of Casemiro, De Jong and Fernandes could work well together. Barcelona would for sure make it tough when it comes to any negotiation, but given their financial situation, he may be one of their most valuable assets that they’d be willing to let go.

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Jermaine Frimpong

Out of all the positions, this would be the one where I’m the least certain who United should go for. Our current right backs, Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, are not good enough to take us to the next level. Dalot is okay going forward but he leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to defending. Aaron-Wan Bissaka is the complete opposite: defensively he’s one of the better full-backs in the league (especially one-on-one), but he’s not up to scratch offensively as most modern full-backs are these days. One of the names linked with United is Frimpong, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. This season, he’s excelled for Xabi Alonso’s side, scoring 9 goals and assisting a further 10 in all competitions. Based on those stats, it’s clear why he’s one of the right-backs on United’s shortlist. You look at the best right backs in the league: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Kieran Trippier. They all contribute to theie teams in the attacking third. United need that attacking spark from the right-back position and Frimpong could be a good addition to the squad. He shouldn’t be too expensive, but the question will be, can he make the adjust from Germany to England that other players have struggled with in the past.

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This Week’s Hot Take

If United could sign all the four players I mentioned, I think this could be our best summer window in recent memory. Our track record when it comes to signings has not been great over the last decade or so, with the club seeming to flip-flop on the profile of players they bought. But with the players above, there is a clear strategy, and they will all fit in with where United are trying to go as a club, both on and off the pitch.