Manchester United’s 2021/22 season is a mess
Manchester United’s 2021/22 season has, so far, been a complete mess and looks set to be yet another trophyless campaign.
In the Premier League, Manchester United have already slipped down to 6th in the league and nine points behind current league leaders, Chelsea.
The Red Devils also have the joint-14th worse defense in the Premier League at the time of writing and look miles away from mounting any sort of title challenge. That honour instead looks set to go to Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool this term.
Elsewhere, Man United suffered a 3rd round League Cup exit at the hands of West Ham, putting them out of one of only two competitions they realistically had any chance of winning in 2021/22.
This just leaves the FA Cup, which does not start until January for Premier League clubs, and the Champions League.
And at the moment, it does not look as though the Manchester outfit stand any chance of progressing deep into the Champions League this campaign.
They have been drawn in a fairly weak group that has none of the traditional heavy-hitters. And whilst United do currently top their group by goal difference, they have severely struggled for wins and have had to rely on Cristiano Ronaldo to bail them out on three occasions already.
Solskjaer staying put?
An obvious solution to Manchester United’s woes would be to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, despite another embarrassing display against cross-town rivals Manchester City on Saturday, United are said to have no plans to replace the Norwegian:
BREAKING: #MUFC have no plans to replace manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite Saturday’s defeat in the Manchester derby ❌
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 8, 2021
4 players Manchester United should sign to help save their season
So, if Man United will not replace their manager, the only real solution to try and help salvage their season looks to be the January transfer window, in which United can sign players to address the weakest areas of their squad.
And, at 101, we have picked out four players Manchester United should sign in January to help save their season.
Kieran Trippier, Atletico Madrid
The first of these is Atletico Madrid and England star, Kieran Trippier.
Manchester United have already been linked with the defender earlier this year, but he would still no doubt be an upgrade on their current squad.
Trippier, 31, has a wealth of experience in both the Premier League and La Liga, the latter of which he won last season with Atletico.
He is also currently being coached by one of the best defensive managers in the world in the form of Diego Simeone and would no doubt bring some much-needed stability to United’s backline.
Trippier is also much, much better going forward than Manchester United’s current right-back, Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Another reason Trippier would likely be a huge upgrade for United is because of his versatility. The Englishman has impressed in both a back-five and four, and as Man United are experimenting with a back-five of late, the addition of Trippier would provide a much better option at right-wing-back whilst also potentially allowing Wan-Bissaka to be moved into a right-sided centre-back role – something his more defense-oriented playstyle would likely suit.
Aurelien Tchouameni, AS Monaco
Another player Manchester United should target in January is Aurelien Tchouameni of AS Monaco.
Despite only being 21 years of age, Tchouameni has already showcased his ability as a very competent defensive midfielder, something Manchester United are crying out for.
For Monaco, Tchouameni would rank joint-first in all of Ligue 1 for interceptions and tackles during the 2020/21 season. And so far this term, the youngster ranks 3rd for most interceptions and tackles from all of the out and out midfielders in Ligue 1.
Perhaps the biggest reason Man United should look to sign Tchouameni, though, is that he has already showcased for France that he can form an effective partnership with Paul Pogba, something none of United’s current midfielders can seemingly do.
Franck Kessie, AC Milan
Given Tchouameni’s age and potential, it seems fair to assume that Monaco would demand a hefty sum for him.
So, Manchester United may be forced to look elsewhere for a central midfielder.
And, in AC Milan’s Franck Kessie, they should fine an effective DM who, thanks to his contract expiring in 2022, should cost a fraction of what he is actually worth.
The Ivorian is a calming presence in midfield, able to control play from deep and is a very effective tackler – ranking 7th for tackles and interceptions from all midfielders in the Serie A last season.
Alessio Romagnoli, AC Milan
The final player Manchester United should look to sign in January is Alessio Romagnoli.
The Italian is a central defender. And whilst United do have two world-class centre-halves in the form of Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire, their options outside of this are very limited.
And if Solskjaer continues to deploy a back-five, United will likely need another top-quality centre-back and Romagnoli could be that man.
The 26-year-old would bring some much-needed leadership to United’s squad and, like Kessie, could be available on the cheap due to his contract running out in 2022.
