Former Manchester United winger and Class of 1992 graduate Ryan Giggs has stated that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will need three first team quality stars this summer in order to see his team challenge for the Premier League title and return to action in the UEFA Champions League next season. Solskjaer was the key to a surge I the league since the Premier League restart which saw the club make up a 14-point deficit with Leicester City, finishing four points clear of the side.
United’s third place finish in the league will be seen as a positive and the first step in a long way back to the pinnacle of English and European football but there is a long road ahead. This summer, United have been linked to Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho and it is imperative that United bring in the 20-year-old or a player of a similar quality to make forward steps next season. The 2019/20 season was not a disaster but it could have been at times.
United’s season was made after signing Bruno Fernandes during the January transfer window and since then, despite the three-month suspension of football, he has become fully integrated in the squad and at times, it looks like he has been playing with his new teammates for a number of years. Giggs thinks that no fewer than three new signings will do and after winning 13 Premier League titles with the club, he would know what is needed to take on the best in the league.
This will be a huge summer for United. Last summer, Solskjaer managed to bring in three players; Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire, adding Fernandes during the January transfer window. United will need to hit the ground running this summer as there will be no long summer break before the new season starts. Speaking to Premier League Productions, reported by The Sun, Giggs said:
“It’s huge for attracting players. Some players will choose clubs that are in the Champions League.
“And [it helps] in holding on to some players too. It’s just huge. Eventually when we get crowds back, Champions League nights at Old Trafford are special.
“Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer]’s beginning to mould a team which is exciting. He said that they were running out of legs a little bit.
“After lockdown, he’s played the same team more or less, which he had to because they’re on such a good run – so it was hard to chop and change.
“They need three players I would say that can go into the starting XI, even to challenge for the league and the Champions League next year.”
United may be a work in progress but next season will be a big one for Solskjaer and United. After finishing third in the Premier League this season, which was achieved on the final day fo the season, United will be expected to better that next season. Also returning to the UEFA Champions League will be pressure on the squad and the manager. Just competing in the competition will not be enough, United will be seeking to take their participation by the scruff of the neck and try to move forward. Playing against better teams and players in Europe will hopefully bring out the best of United’s players.
Written by John Walker
