Manchester United, under the new stewardship of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS following their acquisition of 25% of the club back in February, including control of the football side of the club, will be looking to reinforce their squad with four or five players this summer after a difficult season on the pitch and a season of upheaval off of it.
With most areas of the squad in need of attention as well as the departures of some key players, this transfer window promises to be a pivotal one as Ratcliffe and his newly appointed team of football experts set about rebuilding a team to target success on the field. Here are five players that Manchester United could look to target to strengthen the squad going into the new season.
Five Players Manchester United Should Target As Ratcliffe Revamp Begins
Jarrad Branthwaite
The 21-year-old centre-back has enjoyed a breakout season at Everton, becoming one of the best defenders in the Premier League and ensuring his first cap for England in a pre-Euro 2024 friendly against Bosnia & Herzegovina. It is rumoured that the Red Devils are preparing a bid for the young star, with a transfer mooted sooner rather than later following Branthwaite being cut from Gareth Southgate’s final squad for the summer tournament.
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Although there is excitement regarding the Carlisle native’s potential, he and likely centre-back partner Lisandro Martinez are both left-footed, going against manager Erik ten Hag’s preference of having a right-footed centre-half paired with a left-footed one.
Joao Neves
Defensive midfield is a priority position for Manchester United this summer, with 32-year-old Brazilian Casemiro exhibiting signs of drastic physical decline last season and rumoured to be of interest to Saudi Pro League clubs. There are few better-holding midfielders in Europe right now than Benfica’s Neves, the 19-year-old belying his years with an outstanding all-round game as part of a double pivot in the Portuguese club’s 4-2-3-1 formation.
Adept both in and out of possession, capable of driving forward and dropping deep to link play, Neves is one of the hottest properties in world football right now and would command a huge fee.
Lény Yoro
18-year-old Lille defender Lény Yoro has been making waves in Ligue 1 this season, his assured performances in the back line helping the 2020/2021 champions to a creditable 4th place. Whilst astute in duels and possessing all the requisite physical capabilities to compete in high-level football, Yoro is especially proficient in building up from the back, regularly featuring near the top of the Ligue 1 passing stats this campaign. As a right-footed player, the Frenchman would also compliment Lisandro Martinez at the heart of Ten Hag’s defence.
Benjamin Sesko
14 goals and two assists in 32 Bundesliga games for RB Leipzig this season, along with an impressive and ever-improving all-round game – has made the Slovenian a prime target for several of Europe’s top clubs.
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Tall, athletic and a top finisher, having two of the continent’s top young attackers in Sesko and Rasmus Hojlund would instantly give the Red Devils more firepower and have creators like Bruno Fernandes licking their lips at providing service to two high-potential, hungry attackers.
Michael Olise
Ten goals and six assists in just 19 Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace have seen 22-year-old Olise catapult himself into the conversation of best wingers in the Premier League, notably as the Eagles were rejuvenated by the arrival of highly-rated German coach Julian Glasner in the latter stages of the season. With £90M winger Antony failing to justify his place in the team last season, the left-footed France U21 international could be a promising addition to a squad desperate to challenge at the top end of the table again.
Which of these five players could make the difference at Old Trafford?
