July 27th 2020, the summer transfer window is BACK, and with that comes plenty of drama and speculation especially when it comes to Manchester United. The norm these days is being linked with every player under the sun and signing only one or two of them. This window is rather unusual, as it opened later than usual and only closes on the 5th of October for obvious reasons. However, the speculation shall go on and we're already linked with whole host of names. Instead of looking at that, first let's take a look at the positions we need to strengthen. It is very clear that the squad depth is not good enough and Ole has no faith in the squad players to do a job as clearly indicated in the team selection during the last part of the season. In my opinion, we have four areas to strengthen this window and that would be a centre-back, defensive midfielder, right-winger and a centre-forward. Even so, this would be difficult given the circumstances of the pandemic, etc. Below, I list a couple of options that I think would be suitable and classify them in premium and prospect/squad player options. This is all of course based on my own opinion so feel free to comment if you have any other choices.
Now, to start off with the centre-back positions, here are some choices with stats and price:
PREMIUM
1. Kalidou Koulibaly (29 years old) - Napoli
Price: £50mil-£80mil
Stats:
- Serie A 17/18 - 35 apps, 5 goals, 0.56 goals conceded per 90 mins, 19 clean sheets.
- Serie A 18/19 - 35 apps, 2 goals, 1 assist, 0.8 goals conceded per 90 mins, 14 clean sheets.
- Serie A 19/20 (as of 1/8/2020) - 24 apps, 1.43 goals conceded per 90 mins, 5 clean sheets.
- Total Clean Sheets (in all comps): 25 (17/18), 24 (18/19), 9 (19/20).
- Bookings: For 18/19, 18 yellow cards and 1 red card in all competitions.
- Bookings: For 19/20, 9 yellow cards and 1 red card in all competitions.
- The decrease of goals conceded can be attributed to Napoli's poor form (7th in the league) and him missing 11 games due to a muscle injury.
2. Milan Škriniar (25 years old) - Inter Milan
Price: £55mil-£70mil
Stats:
- Serie A 17/18 - 38 apps, 4 goals, 17 clean sheets, 0.71 conceded per 90 mins.
- Serie A 18/19 - 35 apps, 15 clean sheets, 2 assists, 0.83 goals conceded per 90 mins.
- Serie A 19/20 (as of 1/8/2020) - 31 apps, 10 clean sheets, 2 assists, 1 goal conceded per 90 mins.
- Total Clean Sheets (in all comps): 20 (17/18), 17 (18/19), 13 (19/20).
- Bookings: For 18/19, 11 yellow cards in all competitions.
- Bookings: For 19/20, 13 yellow cards and 1 red card in all competitions.
PROSPECT
1. Gabriel Magalhães (22 years old) - Lille
Price: £20mil-£25mil
Stats:
- Ligue 1 18/19: 14 apps, 1 goal, 9 clean sheets, 0.34 conceded per 90 mins.
- Ligue 1 19/20: 24 apps, 1 goal, 12 clean sheets, 0.82 conceded per 90 mins.
- Total Clean Sheets (in all comps): 12 (18/19), 14 (19/20).
- Bookings: For 18/19, 1 yellow card in all comps.
- Bookings: For 19/20, 6 yellow cards in all comps.
2. Pau Torres (23 years old) - Villarreal CF
Price: £45mil release clause
Stats:
- La Liga 2 18/19 (Malaga): 40 apps, 1 goal, 15 clean sheets, 0.83 conceded per 90 mins.
- La Liga 19/20 (Villarreal): 34 apps, 2 goals, 1 assist, 11 clean sheets, 1.3 conceded per 90 mins.
- Total Clean Sheets (in all comps): 15 (18/19), 14 (19/20).
- Bookings: For 18/19, 6 yellow cards in all comps.
- Bookings: For 19/20, 6 yellow cards in all comps.
3. Ruben Dias (23 years old) - Benfica
Price: £87mil release clause
Stats:
- Liga NOS 18/19: 32 apps, 3 goals, 1 assist, 14 clean sheets, 0.91 conceded per 90 mins.
- Liga NOS 19/20: 33 apps, 2 goals, 3 assists, 17 clean sheets, 0.7 conceded per 90 mins.
- Total Clean Sheets (in all comps): 24 (18/19), 24 (19/20)
- Bookings: For 18/19, 15 yellow cards and 1 red card in all comps.
- Bookings: For 19/20, 13 yellow cards in all comps.
Other notable mentions:
1. Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig) - £54.1mil release clause.
2. Caglar Soyuncu (Leicester City)
3. Ben White (Brighton - on loan at Leeds United)
4. Issa Diop (West Ham)
5. Ben Godfrey (Norwich City)
Moving on to the central defensive position, here are some interesting options to think of:
PREMIUM
1. Thomas Partey (27 years old) - Atlético Madrid
Price: £45mil release clause
Stats:
- La Liga 18/19: 32 apps, 3 goals, 4 assists.
- La Liga 19/20: 35 apps, 3 goals.
- Defensive stats - 2.3 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 0.3 blocks per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 4 goals, 6 assists (18/19) - 4 goals, 1 assist (19/20).
- Bookings: For 19/20, 16 yellow cards in all comps.
2. Ruben Neves (23 years old) - Wolverhampton Wanderers
Price: £45mil-£65mil
Stats:
- Premier League 18/19: 35 apps, 4 goals, 3 assists.
- Premier League 19/20: 38 apps, 2 goals, 2 assists.
- Defensive stats - 1.6 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 0.2 blocks per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 6 goals, 4 assists (18/19) - 4 goals, 3 assists (19/20).
- Bookings: For 19/20, 9 yellow cards in all comps.
PROSPECT
1. Boubakary Soumaré (21 years old) - Lille
Price: £20mil-£40mil
Stats:
- Ligue 1 18/19: 18 apps, 1 goal, 1 assist.
- Ligue 1 19/20: 20 apps.
- Defensive stats: 1 tackle, 1.1 interceptions, and 0.2 blocks per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 1 goal, 1 assist (18/19) - 0 goals and assists (19/20).
- Bookings: For 19/20, 3 yellow cards and 2 red cards in all comps.
2. Kalvin Phillips (24 years old) - Leeds United
Price: £30mil-£50mil
Stats:
- EFL Championship 18/19: 44 apps, 1 goal, 3 assists.
- EFL Championship 19/20: 37 apps, 2 goals, 2 assists.
- Defensive stats: 2.6 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, and 0.3 blocks per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 1 goal, 3 assists (18/19) - 2 goals and 2 assists (19/20).
- Bookings: For 19/20, 10 yellow cards and 1 red card in all comps.
Other notable mentions:
1. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City)
2. Promote from within - James Garner (Manchester United)
3. Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
For the right-winger position, believe that the choice has been made to sign Jadon Sancho so nothing much to add here, happy with that and hope it gets done soon.
PREMIUM
1. Jadon Sancho (20 years old) - Borussia Dortmund
Price: £110mil
Stats:
- Bundesliga 18/19: 34 apps, 12 goals, 14 assists.
- Bundesliga 19/20: 32 apps, 17 goals, 16 assists.
- Offensive stats: 1.8 shots, 2.1 key passes, and 2.5 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 13 goals, 15 assists (18/19) - 22 goals, 21 assists (19/20).
Other notable mentions:
1. Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus)
2. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
3. Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich)
4. Hirving Lozano (Napoli)
5. Promote from within - Tahith Chong (Manchester United)
As for the centre-forward position:
PREMIUM
1. Harry Kane (27 years old) - Tottenham Hotspur
Price: £100mil-£200mil
Stats:
- Premier League 18/19: 28 apps, 17 goals, 4 assists.
- Premier League 19/20: 29 apps, 18 goals, 2 assists.
- Offensive stats: 3.1 shots, 0.9 key passes, and 1.1 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 26 goals, 8 assists (18/19) - 36 goals, 7 assists (19/20).
2. Lautaro Martinez (22 years old) - Inter Milan
Price: £70mil-£90mil
Stats:
- Serie A 18/19: 27 apps, 6 goals, 2 assists.
- Serie A 19/20: 34 apps, 14 goals, 3 assists.
- Offensive stats: 3.7 shots, 0.9 key passes, and 1.1 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 17 goals, 2 assists (18/19) - 19 goals, 4 assists (19/20).
3. Moussa Dembélé (24 years old) - Olympique Lyonnais
Price: £55mil-£80mil
Stats:
- Ligue 1 18/19: 33 apps, 15 goals, 4 assists.
- Ligue 1 19/20: 27 apps, 16 goals, 2 assists.
- Offensive stats: 2.1 shots, 0.8 key passes, and 0.9 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 28 goals, 5 assists (18/19) - 22 goals, 4 assists (19/20).
4. Raúl Jiménez (29 years old) - Wolverhampton Wanderers
Price: £45mil-£60mil
- Ligue 1 18/19: 33 apps, 15 goals, 4 assists.
- Ligue 1 19/20: 27 apps, 16 goals, 2 assists.
- Offensive stats: 2.1 shots, 0.8 key passes, and 0.9 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 28 goals, 5 assists (18/19) - 22 goals, 4 assists (19/20).
4. Raúl Jiménez (29 years old) - Wolverhampton Wanderers
Price: £45mil-£60mil
Stats:
- Premier League 18/19: 38 apps, 13 goals, 7 assists.
- Premier League 19/20: 38 apps, 17 goals, 6 assists.
- Offensive stats: 3.1 shots, 1.4 key passes, and 1.6 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 21 goals, 9 assists (18/19) - 26 goals, 9 assists (19/20).
5. Andrea Belotti (26 years old) - Torino
Stats:
- Serie A 18/19: 37 apps, 15 goals, 3 assists.
- Serie A 19/20: 35 apps, 16 goals, 3 assists.
- Offensive stats: 2.9 shots, 1.1 key passes, and 1.3 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 17 goals, 3 assists (18/19) - 27 goals, 5 assists (19/20).
- Premier League 18/19: 38 apps, 13 goals, 7 assists.
- Premier League 19/20: 38 apps, 17 goals, 6 assists.
- Offensive stats: 3.1 shots, 1.4 key passes, and 1.6 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 21 goals, 9 assists (18/19) - 26 goals, 9 assists (19/20).
5. Andrea Belotti (26 years old) - Torino
Price: £50mil-£60mil
Stats:
- Serie A 18/19: 37 apps, 15 goals, 3 assists.
- Serie A 19/20: 35 apps, 16 goals, 3 assists.
- Offensive stats: 2.9 shots, 1.1 key passes, and 1.3 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 17 goals, 3 assists (18/19) - 27 goals, 5 assists (19/20).
PROSPECT
1. Iñaki Williams (26 years old) - Athletic Bilbao
Price: £100mil-£120mil release clause
Stats:
- La Liga 18/19: 38 apps, 13 goals, 4 assists.
- La Liga 19/20: 38 apps, 6 goals, 1 assists.
- Offensive stats: 1.3 shots, 0.7 key passes, and 1.2 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 15 goals, 4 assists (18/19) - 9 goals, 3 assists (19/20).
2. Ante Rebić (26 years old) - AC Milan
Price: £35mil-£45mil
Stats:
- Bundesliga 18/19 (Eintracht Frankfurt): 28 apps, 9 goals, 4 assists.
- Serie A 19/20: 26 apps, 11 goals, 3 assists.
- Offensive stats: 1.6 shots, 1.3 key passes, and 0.9 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 10 goals, 6 assists (18/19) - 16 goals, 7 assists (19/20).
Other notable mentions:
1. Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
2. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
3. Victor Osimhen (just signed for Napoli)
4. André Silva (Eintracht Frankfurt)
5. Paco Alcácer (Villarreal CF)
- La Liga 18/19: 38 apps, 13 goals, 4 assists.
- La Liga 19/20: 38 apps, 6 goals, 1 assists.
- Offensive stats: 1.3 shots, 0.7 key passes, and 1.2 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 15 goals, 4 assists (18/19) - 9 goals, 3 assists (19/20).
2. Ante Rebić (26 years old) - AC Milan
Price: £35mil-£45mil
Stats:
- Bundesliga 18/19 (Eintracht Frankfurt): 28 apps, 9 goals, 4 assists.
- Serie A 19/20: 26 apps, 11 goals, 3 assists.
- Offensive stats: 1.6 shots, 1.3 key passes, and 0.9 dribbles per game in all comps (19/20).
- GxA (in all comps): 10 goals, 6 assists (18/19) - 16 goals, 7 assists (19/20).
Other notable mentions:
1. Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
2. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
3. Victor Osimhen (just signed for Napoli)
4. André Silva (Eintracht Frankfurt)
5. Paco Alcácer (Villarreal CF)
Here's hoping we make some good signings this summer and strengthen to what we already have.
Eric - UNITED always 😈
