Former Manchester United centra defender Rio Ferdinand has stated that he believes United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be making three or four further additions to his squad this summer. United have been linked to Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilon and as well as the addition on fit 23-year-old, should United end up signing him, Ferdinand believes that Solskjaer should be seeking to sign two forwards and a centre half, which would turn his squad into a stronger one, which would be good this season.
Solskjaer has signed Donny van de Beek so far this summer, which will go a long way to strengthening the midfield, especially with Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Scott McTominay, Fred and Nemanja Matic in the squad already. It will be the strongest midfield that United have had post-Sir Alex Ferguson and probably for many of the last ten years of reign of the club. Ferdinand feels that the club needs to put more money into the squad this summer, upping the quality, which was lacking last season. Ferdinand, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, said:
“I would say definitely after Van de Beek they need probably – if they’re going to really compete – three or four. Players that can go in and actually affect the first team, the first XI.
“And Reguilon we’re talking about, the lad at Sevilla who’s from Real Madrid, he was voted the best left-back in La Liga so really good credentials.
“Luke Shaw I think is unfortunate in terms of his injuries. He’s played games but then he hasn’t been able to sustain a full season without any injuries, which is disappointing.
“But listen, if I was looking at it and looking at the team, in the forward areas I think one or two additions.
“One definitely, maybe two, are needed that can come in and affect that first team and push people, if not start.
“And then I think a centre-back. That area, for me, is where there’s a lack of real, genuine pace and I think the best teams around at the moment have a player in one of the two players that play [at centre-back] in a four that has genuine pace normally.
“I think Liverpool are the team that’s dominated this season. The two centre-backs can be sat on the halfway line, they’re sitting there purring, waiting to be taken on in a foot race back to the goal and they back themselves.
“And with that, what that does as well, it’s not just about pace – knowing how to defend as well – but what that allows is more players to be able to go forward and pin the other team back in the opposing team’s third, which is, the way the game is played today, very critical.”
On Monday 14 September 2020, there will be three more weeks left of the summer transfer window and that would suggest that United would not have enough time to get three or four deals done to end the summer with a squad that could challenge the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City to contest the Premier League title. United are fragile defensively, especially in the left-back position with the injuries to Luke Shaw and the fact that Brandon Williams lacks the experience to play in that position, although he has done well to do what he has done over the past season.
It would seem that the chase for Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund this summer is going to run until the final week of the transfer window, probably with nothing happening, which will upset the fair weather supporters who are just seeking out that excuse to properly turn on the manager, which is all these people ever seem to do – they only ever moan about the ownership of the club during a transfer window when the money is not being spent, but buy all the goods and services on offer during the course of the season, which negates moaning about the ownership, in my opinion at least.
United do need to be backed by the owners of the club. If the money is not there for deals, that should be made known to the supporters. However, as Ed Woodward has already suggested that this is the case, he will be happy that the waning was given and that supporters of the club should not have high hopes that the club will challenge for title in the coming season – which is the point of football. That said, the Glazers seem happy to see United qualify for the UEFA Champions League so that the revenue fills their pockets, which might take a hit if supporters will sit out the 2020/21 season, which could well happen.
Written by John Walker
