The January transfer window may have just slammed shut but that hasn’t stopped the endless supply of speculation involving Manchester United.
In fact, the Red Devils have already been linked with so many players since the close of the summer transfer window that we have the opportunity to speculate what their starting XI could well look like once the summer window has come to an end.
With a contract that could continue until 2024, it seems unlikely David De Gea will be going anywhere in the summer unless he manages to force an exit.
Likewise, United invested big money in Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer. Barring a huge change of heart from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they’ll likely be starting XI regulars again in 2020/21.
However, there could be some other changes amongst the backline. First and foremost, Manchester United have been mooted as the front runners to land Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly. However, it’s alleged he could cost as much as £127m.
Meanwhile, having broken into the first team picture this season to make 20 senior appearances, Brandon Williams could well overtake Luke Shaw as United’s first-choice left-back considering his continuous injury problems.
Midfield is where we are likely to see the biggest changes though. According to The Daily Star, United are ready to sell Paul Pogba, with James Maddison, Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho all on their radar.
Purely because Manchester Evening News are reporting that he wants a move to Old Trafford, we’ve opted to include Maddison over Grealish in this XI. The Leicester City star has bagged six goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, also averaging 2.3 key passes per game.
Sancho, meanwhile, slots right into the team on the right wing. According to Whoscored, no player to have started there more than three times for United this season has averaged a performance rating of better than 6.7.
That tells it’s own story, especially when compared to Sancho’s return of seven goals and nine assists when operating on that flank.
Eric Dier has also been mooted as a potential summer recruit for United and although the England international can play in a variety of positions, a defensive midfield role seems the most likely in light of United’s other suggested signings.
And Ed Woodward has reportedly been given the green light to swoop for former Celtic striker Moussa Dembele, now of Lyon. He’s scored 19 goals across all competitions this season and the Frenchman’s arrival could well see Marcus Rashford become a near-permanence on the left in stead of up front.
Rashford has actually featured 19 times on the left this season compared to 10 times as a centre-forward, so clearly Solskjaer views him as a wide forward as much as an out-and-out striker.
Overall then, that’s five new signings, a revised role for Rashford and a major sale in the form of Pogba. United could well look much different once we come to the end of the next transfer window.
