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A week ago, Manchester United’s summer overview would have been negative as the club has yet to make a new signing as the summer window came halfway.
But then came the skillful and silent movement of Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek and the mood changed. This was the best of United, who closed a quick deal for a 23-year-old midfielder who looks like a £ 35 million bargain.
That got the ball rolling for United and with a month to go until the transfer window closes on October 5, the mood has changed.
However, there is still work to be done for United. The deal for Van de Beek is a good start, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will want more newcomers through the door, while his team needs cuts too.
So as the countdown begins in the final month of a transfer window like no other, what must the club do to wrap up a successful summer by October 5?
Objectives transfer
The priority remains Jadon Sancho and finding a deal that suits all parties involved. Negotiations with Borussia Dortmund have been slow and United will also have to calculate agent fees and salary expectations for Sancho, but as we saw with Van de Beek, deals can move quickly once progress is made.
Sancho is currently on duty in England before returning to Borussia Dortmund next week, with the Bundesliga season starting a week later than the Premier League, which is the same weekend that United begin their campaign after having had the first weekend off.
Signing Sancho and this window will have been a great success for United, but the fact that they were able to sign Van de Beek while awaiting his best deal this summer is an encouraging sign.
As MEN reported earlier this week, United are monitoring Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilón and have been linked to RB Leipzig central defender Dayot Upamecano.
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Players for sale
Departures are just as important as newcomers given the bloated nature of the Solskjaer team. For example, it’s unlikely to make a move for Upamecano when United still have so many central defenders on their books.
Chris Smalling could still move to Roma permanently, having enjoyed a successful loan stint in the Italian capital last season, but they will also want to see Marcos Rojo leave for good and Phil Jones could follow as well.
Following the arrival of Van de Beek, United can probably also afford to let go of an attacking midfielder. Both Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard struggled to gain playing time in the second half of last season and it doesn’t seem to make much sense to keep them both at the club.
Where do you need to strengthen
The priority has to remain a rightist. While Mason Greenwood shone there after football returned in June, United need more competition in the final third.
The difficulty is whether making a deal for Sancho is impossible. United could look for a short-term loan option instead, given that Sancho would be on the move next summer if he stayed with Dortmund.
There is the argument that United needs another central defender to mount a credible title challenge, but given the impact of Covid-19 on revenue, that can only happen if Sancho doesn’t sign and some of the aforementioned defenders leave.
It is cutting equipment that should also be considered a priority. With talent beginning to emerge from the academy, United don’t need first-team players nowhere near the squad of the day, blocking their way to higher participation, in squads and training sessions.
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